Night World Read
by hayley18
Summary: In this story, all of the soulmates/Circle Daybreakers receive the Night world series. Time stands still as they read them all in order to stop the apocalypse. Rated T to be safe
1. Chapter 1

She was awakened by the doorbell.

Poppy, whose brilliant green eyes shone in the dark, studied her surroundings. She didn't need her night vision to feel her soulmate, James, lying next to her. She saw the crumpled and kicked blankets (she was a restless sleeper) around their feet. She knew that they were in the smallest room of the Circle Daybreak house. If she had turned on the lights she would notice the coppery color of the wallpaper and the beige-brown carpet. Of course, that carpet was covered in both James and Poppy's clothes and shoes.

The doorbell rang again and Poppy wondered why James wasn't getting up. She could feel his breathing - she knew he was alive. She didn't hear anybody else in the house stirring either. She chalked it up to her being one of the newest vampires in the house and her senses were still heightened from the change, even though that had been a year ago.

Without disturbing James, Poppy snuck out of the bed. She tip toed out of the room, avoiding the clothes and shoes. She knew that sneaking was what she was best at (other than the whole "strongest telepath" thing). She looked like a tiny ballerina or a pixie when she sneaked around.

She made her way to the front door. She couldn't sense anyone else's presence and she knew that meant that the person who had rang the doorbell was gone. To be sure, Poppy looked out of the small window at the top of the door, having to stand on her tippy-toes to reach it. Without seeing anyone, she opened the door.

There was a box.

Nothing special, she told herself. Cardboard and tape. There was no return address. All it said was "To those Damned Daybreakers." She vaguely wondered why this box couldn't have been dropped off several hours later, as in _not at three in the morning,_ but she took the box in anyway. She placed it on the kitchen counter where she knew Galen would make breakfast the next morning. She yawned, not realizing how tired she had been until just then. The mystery box could wait until the morning, she thought. Someone else could take care of it.

With that, she sneaked her way back into her room, next to James, and cuddled up into his warm chest.

"There's a box."

It was put simply, but it had a strange effect on the Daybreakers. Everyone became immediately curious. Even those who didn't show their feelings most often - *cough* Jez, Morgead, and Keller - were surprised by this new thing that had made its way into their house the night before.

"Who is it from?"

"Who found it?"

"How did it get in?"

Poppy came out of her room, rubbing one eye sleepily. She hadn't bothered to brush her hair - she knew it wouldn't stay in place anyway.

"What's going on?" she asked through a yawn.

"There's a box," Thea said. With her blonde, flowing hair and her excited brown eye, Thea stood shaking the box up to her ear.

"I know," replied Poppy, "I brought it in last night. But what's in it?"

Everyone in the living room turned and stared at Poppy. James, her soulmate, stopped eating the eggs that Galen had made that morning and looked at her quizzically. Ash and Mary-Lynette looked up from their cozy spot on the loveseat in the attached living room. Thea, with the box to her ear stood dumbfounded while her soulmate, Eric, put a hand on her shoulder. Gillian and David had stopped flipping through television channels to stare at Poppy like she was insane. Rashel and Quinn, who had previously had their heads together in a plotting position, looked up at Poppy curiously before going back to their plotting. Hannah and Thierry took a break from playing with each other's hair to whisper about Poppy. Jez and Morgead laughed quietly to themselves, no doubt plotting something as well. Maggie and Delos stared at Poppy as though she was absolutely stupid. And Keller and Galen stopped pancake-flipping mid-flip.

"You brought it in?" asked Delos. "Do you know how dangerous that could have been? What if it had been a- a-"

"Bomb?" Maggie finished for him. "What if it had killed us all in our sleep?"

Poppy shifted uncomfortably. She hadn't realized that it could have been dangerous. After all, only those who called Circle Daybreak "those Damned Daybreakers" were people who hated them.

"But Thea was shaking it," Poppy retorted. "Don't you think that could have set off the bomb too?"

"Well all this speculation is no good if we still don't know what's inside of it," Thierry said, always the cool mind of reason. "Open it."

Eric gently took the box from Thea and asked the room for a pocketknife. He received several, taking only one from Morgead.

Once the box was open, all they could see were books. Three of them, each titled The Night World.

"Oh dear," Hannah said.

"There's a note," Keller said, still on edge from all the bomb talk.

"Dear Damned Daybreakers,

I am also a fellow Daybreaker. I come from another dimension where there are no Night People. These books are written by a woman who claims to have all of the Night Person knowledge. I know that you all are gearing up for the apocalypse and I believe that reading about all of your pasts can help your futures. Please learn about each other and take this as a way to grow. Please do not fight. It will only bring the end of the world to a close faster. I have called on some very powerful forces and they have stopped time outside for you all. You need not focus on anything but what is going on inside of your house. Please, save the world. Other dimensions depend on it.

Lovingly, A Fan"

All of the Daybreakers stood, shocked. How was that even possible? To get from one dimension to another? A place where there were no Night People? And how did the other dimensions depend on it?

"What should we do?" David asked Thierry. All of the Daybreakers than looked to Thierry for guidance.

"I guess we read them," Thierry suggested. The Daybreakers moved to the large living room and sat down. Poppy and James sat on the floor below Ash and Mary-Lynette's loveseat. Eric sat on the couch and Thea sat on the armrest next to him. David laid next to Eric, his head on the other armrest. Gillian sat on that armrest with Eric's head in her lap. Rashel and Quinn brought some bar stools over from the kitchen an perched quietly next to Ash and Mary-Lynette. Hannah and Thierry settled down next to each other on an ottoman in front of the television. Jez and Morgead lounged on the window seat and acted as though they weren't interested. Delos sat on the loveseat opposite Ash and Mary-Lynette's loveseat, Maggie lounging on his lap. Keller and Galen stayed in the kitchen, cleaning up the leftover food and then perched like cats on the kitchen counter to listen.

Thierry picked up the first book. "The Night World: Secret Vampire, Daughters of Darkness, and Spellbinder."


	2. Secret Vampire Chapter 1

**I don't own the Night World series. Everything in bold is reading. Enjoy!**

Thierry began. **"It was on the first day of summer vacation that Poppy found out she was going to die."**

"Poppy," Gillian exclaimed. "This story is about you!"

Poppy got a pit in her stomach and curled closer to James. She didn't exactly know how she felt with everyone listening to her story. Sure, they all knew that James made her into a vampire in order to save her life, but there were secrets that she liked to keep. Secrets that were hers and not for everybody else.

 **"It happened on Monday, the first** _ **real**_ **day of vacation (the weekend didn't count),"** Thierry continued. **"Poppy woke up feeling gloriously weightless and thought, No** _ **school.**_ **Sunlight was streaming in the window, turning the sheer hangings around her bed filmy gold. Poppy pushed them aside and jumped out of bed - and winced."**

Here we go, Poppy thought to herself.

 _Hey, it's okay,_ James thought to her. She looked down at him and he gave her a lopsided smile that made her heart race. It _was_ okay, she thought. Because he's here.

 **"Ouch. That pain in her stomach again. Sort of a gnawing, as if something were eating its way toward her back. It helped a little if she bent over.**

 **"No, Poppy thought. I refuse to be sick during summer vacation. I** _ **refuse**_ **. A little power of positive thinking is what's needed here."**

"Poppy-tive thinking!" exclaimed Galen, quoting Poppy's catchphrase. The group laughed and Poppy blushed ever-so-slightly.

 **"Grimly, doubled over - think positive, idiot! - she made her way down the hall to the turquoise-and-gold-tiled bathroom. At first she thought she was going to throw up, but then the pain eased as suddenly as it had come-"** James had released a vice-like grip on Poppy's hand that neither had realized was there **"- Poppy straightened and regarded her tousled reflection triumphantly."**

 **""Stick with me, kid, and you'll be fine," she whispered to it, and gave a conspiratorial wink."** The room burst out in laughter. Poppy blushed a deep red and sputtered. Even James chuckled.

"Oh Poppy," Rashel said, "That's so...cute."

 **"Then she leaned forward, seeing her own green eyes narrow in suspicion. There on her nose were four freckles. Four and a half, if she were completely honest, which Poppy North usually was. How childish, how -** _ **cute!**_ **"**

James leaned over and kissed Poppy's nose. "It is cute," he explained.

 **"Poppy stuck her tongue out at herself and then turned away with great dignity, without bothering to comb the wild coppery curls that clustered over her head.**

 **"She maintained the dignity until she got to the kitchen where Phillip, her twin brother, was eating Special K."**

Poppy sighed. she missed Phillip and his straight-laced-ness. She missed his over-reactions and his absolute adoration for her.

 **"Then she narrowed her eyes again, this time at him. It was bad enough to be small, slight, and curly-haired - to look, in fact, as much like an elf as anything she'd ever seen sitting on a buttercup in a children's picture book - but to have a twin who was tall, Viking-blond, and classically handsome... well, that just showed a certain deliberate malice in the makeup of the universe, didn't it?"**

"I always thought you looked more like a leprechaun," Jez chimed in. "Also, I'd like to meet this brother of yours." As she said it, she purred, causing Morgead to kick her shin, hard. Jez threw herself on top of him, pulling his too-long hair. They dissolved, as they always did, into laughter and over-the-top making out.

 **""Hello, Phillip," she said in a voice heavy in menace.**

 **"Phillip, who was used to his sister's moods, was unimpressed. He lifted his gaze from the comic section of the** _ **LA Times**_ **for a moment. Poppy had to admit that he had nice eyes: questing green eyes with very dark lashes. They were the only thing the twins had in common."**

"No," James said. "You're both too stubborn for your own good."

Poppy huffed angrily, but silently agreed with him.

 **""Hi," Phillip said flatly, and went back to the comics. Not many kids Poppy knew read the newspaper, but that was Phil all over. Like Poppy, he'd been a junior at El Camino High last year, and unlike Poppy, he'd made straight A's while starring on the football team, the hockey team, and the baseball team. Also serving as class president."**

"Sounds like someone Blaise would like," Thea muttered. Those Daybreakers that knew of Blaise - and her frequent, unauthorized visits, muttered agreements.

 **"One of Poppy's greatest joys in life was teasing him. She thought he was too straight-laced.**

 **"Just now she giggled and shrugged, giving up the menacing look. "Where's Cliff and Mom?" Cliff Hilgard was their stepfather of three years and even straighter-laced than Phil.**

 **""Cliff's at work. Mom's getting dressed. You'd better eat something of she'll get on your case."**

 **""Yeah, yeah..." Poppy went on to tiptoe to rummage through a cupboard. Finding a box of Frosted Flakes, she thrust a hand in and delicately pulled out one flake. She ate it dry."**

"Yum," Keller said sarcastically. "Nourishment."

Galen stared back at her like she was crazy. "I find Frosted Flakes without milk to be very good."

Keller gagged but let Thierry continue after he shot her a look.

 **"It wasn't** _ **all**_ **bad being short and elfin. She did a few dance steps to the refrigerator, shaking the cereal box in rhythm.**

 **""I'm a...sex pixie!" she sang, giving it a foot stomping rhythm."**

The gang burst out laughing again.

"Is that what you let James call you in bed?" Ash asked through hysterical laughter. James yanked on his leg, pulling him out of the loveseat. Grumbling, Ash returned to his spot, being careful to step on James's hand on his way back up.

 **"No, you're not," Phillip said with devastating calm. "And why don't you put some clothes on?"**

 **"Holding the refrigerator door open, Poppy looked down at herself. She was wearing the oversize T-shirt she'd slept in. It covered her like a mini-dress. "This** _ **is**_ **clothes," she said serenely, taking a Diet Coke from the fridge.**

 **"There was a knock at the kitchen door. Poppy saw who it was through the screen.**

 **"Hi, James! C'mon in."**

The gang chorused in "ooh"s.

"Soulmate, that's your cue," Quinn said, a wide smiling playing across his face.

 **"James Rasmussen came in, taking off his wrap-around Ray Bans. Looking at him, Poppy felt a pang - as always. It didn't matter that she had seen him every day, practically, for the past ten years. She still felt a quick sharp throb in her chest, somewhere between sweetness and pain, when first confronted with him every morning."**

"Oh, now, isn't that sweet?" Hannah asked Thierry. "It may have been different for us, but that's what it's like when you're not partnered with an Old Soul."

Thierry grinned at Hannah and kissed her on the cheek. "You're such a softy," he said.

"Go on," Hannah implored. "Finish the chapter."

 **"It wasn't just his outlaw good looks-"** "Ooooohhhh!" **"- which always reminded her vaguely of James Dean. He had silky light brown hair, a subtle, intelligent face, and grey eyes that were alternately intense and cool. He was the handsomest boy at El Camino High, but that wasn't it, that wasn't what Poppy responded to. It was something** _ **inside**_ **him, something mysterious and compelling and alway just out of reach. It made her heart beat fast and her skin tingle."**

"See, that could be because of the soulmate thing, or because you're a vampire. Humans always seem to get a distinct instinct when they've found a vampire and that could be what she was feeling," Rashel explained.

"That's what I first felt when I met Ash's sisters," Mary-Lynette chimed in. "I was so sure that there was something off about them. Of course, I knew that Ash was bonkers and an idiot, so I didn't have to worry about him." Ash playfully smiled and nuzzled Mary-Lynette's cheek with his nose. She giggled and pulled away from him.

 **"Phillip felt differently. As soon as James came in, he stiffened and his face went cold. Electric dislike flashed between the two boys.**

 **"Then James smiled faintly, as if Phillip's reaction amused him. "Hi."**

 **"Hi," Phil said, not thawing in the least. Poppy had the strong sense that he'd like to bundle her up and rush her out of the room. Phillip always overdid the protective-brother bit when James was around. "So how's Jacklyn and Michaela?" he added nastily.**

 **"James considered. "Well, I don't really know."**

 **""You don't** _ **know?**_ **Oh, yeah, you always drop your girlfriends just before summer vacation. Leaves you free to maneuver, right?"**

 **""Of course," James said blandly. He smiled."**

"James, you dog," Ash said. He slapped James on the back. James blushed, not very proud of himself.

Jez added, "Don't be ashamed of it, James. It's what a normal vampire has to do in order to keep their cover."

 **"Phillip glared at him with unabashed hatred.**

 **"Poppy, for her part, was seized by joy. Goddbye Jacklyn; goodbye, Michaela. Goodbye to Jacklyn's elegant long legs and Michaela's amazing pneumatic chest. This was going to be a wonderful summer.**

 **"Many people thought Poppy and James's relationship platonic-"** there was a scoff **"-This wasn't true. Poppy had known for years that she was going to marry him."** Some people began to laugh while Poppy blushed. **"It was one of her two great ambitions, the other being to see the world. She just hadn't gotten around to informing James yet. Right now he still thought he liked long-legged girls with salon fingernails and Italian pumps."**

"Oh Poppy," Maggie said. "That's so funny...and precognitive of you."

"My cousin was a real vampire," Ash said, playfully. "I can't believe that you've never told me about this James-y! Oh Goddess, thank Hellewise!"

"Oh, cue the theatrics," Quinn said, rolling his eyes.

 **""Is that a new CD?" she said, to distract him from his stare-out ith his future brother-in-law.**

 **"James hefted it. "It's the new Ethnotencho release."**

 **"Poppy cheered. "More Tuva throat sngers - I can't** _ **wait.**_ **Let's go listen to it."**

"God, is that the stuff that you two blast?" Jez said. "You call that music? It sounds like witch-chanting." Everyone gave an involuntary shudder. Witch-chanting may be powerful but it was horrendous to listen to.

 **"But just then her mother walked in. Poppy's mom was cool, blond, and perfect, like an Alfred Hitchcock heroine. She normally wore an expression of effortless efficiency. Poppy, heading out of the kitchen, nearly ran into her.**

 **""Sorry- morning!"**

 **""Hold on a minute," Poppy's mother said, getting hold of Poppy by the back of her T-shirt. "Good morning, Phil; good morning, James," she added. Phil said good morning and James nodded, ironically polite.**

 **""Has everybody had breakfast?" Poppy's mother asked, and when the boys said they had, she looked at her daughter. "And what about you?" she asked, gazing into Poppy's face.**

 **"Poppy rattled the Frosted Flakes box and her mother winced. "Why don't you at least put milk in them?"**

 **""Better this way," Poppy said firmly, but when her mother gave her a little push toward the refrigerator, she went and got a quart carton of lowfat milk."**

"Always watching her weight," Gillian joked.

 **""What are you planning to do with your first day of freedom?" her mother said, glancing from James to Poppy.**

 **""Oh, I don't know." Poppy looked at James. "Listen to some music; maybe go up to the hills? Or drive to the beach?"**

 **""Whatever you want," James said. "We've got all summer."**

 **"The summer stretched out in front of Poppy, hot and golden and resplendent. It smelled like pool chlorine and sea salt; it felt like warm grass under her back. Three whole months, she thought. That's forever. Three months is forever."**

"Not really," Thierry said. "I can attest to that."

"Me too," Quinn said.

 **"It was strange that she was actually thinking this when it happened.**

 **""We could check out the new shops at the Village-" she was beginning, when suddenly the pain struck and her breath caught in her throat.**

 **"It was bad - a deep, twisting burst of agony that made her double over. The milk carton flew from her fingers and everything went gray."**

"Well, that's the end of the chapter," Thierry said.

"But it can't be!" Galen exclaimed. "That is such a cliffhanger!"

Keller pulled him into her arms. "Well then I guess we'll have to keep reading, then."

Thierry hand the book over to Keller. "You read the next chapter," he said. "We'll go around in a circle."

Keller gave him the stink eye. "No offense, sir, but I don't really want to."

Galen rubbed her back. "C'mon, it'll be fair this way."

Seeing everyone else start getting anxious and fidgety, Keller sighed heavily and grabbed the book from Thierry's outstretched arm. "I'm not good at reading out loud," she said. "Just have to tell you guys up front."

No one seemed to have any complaints, so Keller flipped the page and began.


	3. Secret Vampire Chapter 2

Keller flipped the page and began.

 **""Poppy!" Poppy could hear her mother's voice, but she couldn't see anything. The kitchen floor was obscured by dancing black dots."**

James's grip on Poppy's hand intensified. She didn't mind it, though. She just snuggled closer to him. He instinctively put a protective arm around her. His eyes were shit and leaning against Poppy's shoulder as he listened. She knew that he was watching the scene play out in his head. This was one of the worst, most memorable days for both of them. She couldn't believe that they were sitting here, reading about all of it with people she didn't know very well.

 **""Poppy, are you alright?" Now Poppy felt her mother's hands grasping her upper arms, holding her anxiously. The pain was easing and her vision was coming back.**

 **"As she straightened up, she saw James in front of her. His face was almost expressionless, but Poppy knew him well enough to recognize the worry in his eyes. He was holding the milk carton, she realized. He must have caught it on the fly as she dropped it - amazing reflexes, Poppy thought vaguely. Really amazing."**

"You could say that," Morgead chimed in.

 **"Phillip was on his feet. "Are you okay? What happened?**

 **""I- don't know." Poppy looked around, then shrugged, embarrassed. Now that she felt better she wished they weren't all staring at her so hard. The way to deal with pain was to ignore it, to not think about it.**

 **""It's just this stupid pain - I think it's gastrowhatchamacallit. You know, something I ate."**

 **"Poppy's mother gave her daughter the barest fraction of a shake. "Poppy, this is not gastroenteritis. You were having some pain before - nearly a month ago, wasn't it? Is this the same kind of pain?"**

 **"Poppy squirmed uncomfortably. As a matter of fat, the pain had never really gone away Somehow, in the excitement of end-of-the-year activities, she'd managed to disregard it, and by now she was used to working around it.**

 **""Sort of," she temporized. "But-"**

 **"That was enough for Poppy's mother. She gave Poppy a little squeeze and headed for the kitchen telephone. "I know you don't like doctors, but I'm calling Dr. Franklin. I want him to take a look at you. This isn't something we can ignore."**

 **"Oh, Mom, it's** _ **vacation...**_ **"**

"Oh Goddess," Thea broke the silence. Everyone had been so wrapped up in the story that no one had been speaking. Finally, with the little comic relief, the Daybreakers began to feel comfortable talking once more.

" _That_ was what you were worried about?" Eric said. As an up-and-coming vet student, he was accustomed to pain and whatnot. But he very rarely had complaints like Poppy's from his patients - they couldn't speak.

"That's my Poppy," James said, lightly ruffling her hair. Underneath his lopsided grin, he saw that same worry in his eyes. He knew how the story ended and a few people probably would not like how they came out looking.

 **"Her mother covered the mouthpiece of the phone. "Poppy, this is nonnegotiable. Go get dressed."**

 **"Poppy groaned, but she could see it was no use. She beckoned to James, who was looking thoughtfully into a middle distance.**

 **""Let's at least listen to the CD before I have to go."**

 **"He glanced at the CD as if he'd forgotten it, and put down the milk carton. Phillip followed them into the hallway.**

 **""Hey, buddy, you wait out here while she gets dressed.""**

Many people burst out laughing.

"Oh, James," said Ash.

"If you call me a dog one more time..." James warned.

 **"James barely turned. "Get a life, Phil," he said almost absently.**

 **""Just keep your hands off my sister, you deve.""**

"Look how well _that_ turned out," Delos said.

 **"Poppy just shook her head as she went into her room. As if James cared about seeing her undressed.** _ **If only,**_ **she thought grimly, pulling a pair of shorts out of a drawer."**

"I'm sure he does now, Poppy," Jez said with a mischievous wink. Poppy turned red. To have her innermost thoughts out to these Daybreakers was very embarrassing.

 **"She stepped into them, still shaking her head. James was her best friend, her very best friend, and she was his. But he'd never shown even the slightest desire to get his hands on her."**

"Believe me," James whispered in her ear. "Every minute of every day."

 **"Sometimes she wondered if he realized she was a girl.**

 **"Someday I'm going to** _ **make**_ **him see, she thought, and shouted out the door for him.**

 **"James came in and smiled at her. It was a smile other people rarely saw, not a taunting or ironic grin, but a nice little smile, slightly crooked."**

"That's your smile," James whispered again. "The smile just for you." This made Poppy light up. She slid closer to him, practically in his lap.

 **""Sorry about the doctor thing," Poppy said.**

 **""No. You should go." James gave her a keen glance. "Your mom's right, you know. This has been going on way too long. You've lost weight; it's keeping you up at night-"**

 **"Poppy looked at him, startled. She hadn't told anybody about how the pain was worse at night, not even James. But- sometimes James just knew things. As if he could read her mind."**

"Yeah, something like that," Hannah said, a teasing smile on her lips.

 **""I just know** _ **you,**_ **that's all," he said, and then gave her a mischievous sideways glance as she stared at him. He unwrapped the CD.**

 **"Poppy shrugged and flopped on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Anyway, I wish Mom would let me have** _ **one**_ **day of vacation," she said. She craned her neck to look at James speculatively. "I wish I had a mom like yours. Mine's always worrying and trying to** _ **fix**_ **me."**

 **""And mine doesn't really care if I come or go. So which is worse?" James said wryly.**

 **""Your parents let you have your own** _ **apartment**_ **."**

 **"In a building they own. Because it's cheaper than hiring a manager." James shook his head, his eyes on the CD he was putting in the player. "Don't knock your parents, kid. You're luckier than you know."**

 **"Poppy thought about that as the CD started. She and James both liked trance - the underground electronic sound that had come from Europe. James liked the techno beat. Poppy loved it because it was** _ **real**_ **music, raw and unpasteurized, made by people who believed in it. People who had the passion, not people who had the money."**

"I prefer people who have the money," Jez said.

"At least it doesn't sound like witch-chanting when there's money involved," Thea said, all too familiar with witch chanting.

 **"Besides, world music made her feel a part or other places. She loved the differentness of it, the alienness.**

 **"Come to think of it, maybe that was what she liked about James, too. His differentness. She tilted her head to look at him as the strange rhythms of Burundi drumming filled the air.**

 **"She knew James better than anyone, but there was always something,** _ **something**_ **about him that was closed off to her. Something about him that nobody could reach.**

 **"Other people took it for arrogance, or coldness, or aloofness, but it wasn't really any of those things. It was just-** _ **differentness.**_ **He was more different than any of the exchange student at school. Time after time, Poppy felt she had almost put her finger on the difference, but it always slipped away. And, more than once, especially late at night when they were listening to music or watching the ocean she'd felt he was about to tell her.**

 **"And she'd always felt that if he** _ **did**_ **tell her, it would be something important, something as shocking and lovely as having a stray cat speak to her."**

"Wow," Mary-Lynette said. She hadn't spoken the entire time. "That is _exactly_ the feeling. Completely. I...can't even put into words how exactly she had put those feelings."

"Except you found out faster than me," Poppy said. "I had to wait 10 years to find out."

 **"Just now she looked at James, at his clean, carven profile and at the brown waves of hair on his forehead, and thought, He looks sad.**

 **""Jamie, nothing's** _ **wrong**_ **, is it? I mean, at home, or anything?" She was the only person on the planet allowed to call him Jamie. Not even Jacklyn or Michaela had ever tried that.**

 **""What could be wrong at home?" he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. The he shook his head dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Poppy. It's nothing important - just a relative threatening to visit. An unwanted relative."**

Everyone glared up at Ash.

"Little ol' me?" he asked innocently.

 **"Then the smile** _ **did**_ **reach his eye, glinting there. "Or maybe I'm just worried about you," he said.**

 **"Poppy started to say, "Oh, as** _ **if**_ **," but instead she found herself saying, oddly, "Are you really?"**

 **"Her seriousness seemed to strike some chord. His smile disappeared, and Poppy found that they were simply looking at each other, without any insulating humor between them. Just gazing into each other's eyes. James looked uncertain, almost vulenrable.**

 **""Poppy-"**

 **"Poppy swallowed. "Yes?"**

 **"He opened his mouth - and then he got up abruptly and went to adjust her 170-watt Tall-boy speakers."**

"Ugh!" several people moaned. Poppy could feel their frustration just as she had felt it a year before. He had gotten so close. Eventually, she reminded herself, he was mine.

 **"When he turned back, his gray eyes were dark and fathomless.**

 **""Sure, if you were really sick, I'd be worried," he said lightly. "That's what friends are for, right?"**

 **"Poppy deflated. "Right," she said wistfully, and then gave him a determined smile.**

 **""But you're not sick," he said. "It's just something that you need to get taken care of. The doctor'll probably give you some antibiotics or something - with a big needle," he added wickedly.**

 **""Oh, shut up," Poppy said. He knew she was terrified of injections. Just the thought of a needle entering her skin...**

 **""Here comes your mom," James said, glancing at the door, which was ajar. Poppy couldn't see how he could hear anybody coming - the music was loud and the hallway was carpeted. But an instant later her mother pushed the door open.**

 **""All right, sweetheart," she said briskly. "Dr. Franklin says come right in. I'm sorry James, but I'm going to have to take Poppy away."**

 **""That's okay. I can come back this afternoon."**

 **"Poppy knew when she was defeated. she allowed her mother to tow her to the garage, ignoring James's miming of someone receiving a large injection.**

"Wow, James," Rashel said. "You're kind of an ass."

"And not very good at hiding your vampire abilities," Galen chimed in with a laugh.

James rolled his eyes at them and nuzzled Poppy on the nose. Poppy could still sense his anxiety, but she knew better than to bring it up now. Later, she would make it all better.

 **"An hour later she was lying on Dr. Franklin's examining table, eyes politely averted as his gentle finger probed her abdomen. Dr. Franklin was tall, lean, and graying, with the air of a country doctor. Somebody you could trust absolutely.**

 **""The pain is here?" he said.**

 **""Yeah - but it sort of goes into my back. Or maybe I just pulled a muscle back there or something..."**

 **"The gentle, probing fingers moved, the stopped. Dr. Franklin's faced changed. And somehow, in that moment, Poppy knew it wasn't a pulled muscle. It wasn't an upset stomach; it wasn't anything simple; and things were about to change forever."**

"Ominous," Morgead said. "What was it, Pops?"

Poppy shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't give out spoilers," she said with a grin.

 **"All Dr. Franklin said was, "You know, I'd like to arrange for a test on this."**

 **"His voice was dry and thoughtful, but panic circled Poppy anyway. She couldn't explain what was happening inside her - some sort of dreadful premonition, like a black pit opening in the ground in front of her.**

 **""Why?" her mother was asking the doctor.**

 **""Well." Dr. Franklin smiled and pushed his glasses up. He tapped two fingers on the examining table. "Just as part of a process of elimination, really. Poppy says she's been having pain in the upper abdomen, pain that radiates to her back, pain that's worse at night. She's lost her appetite recently, and she's lost a lot of weight. And her gallbladder is palpable - that means I can feel that it's enlarged. Now those are symptoms of a lot of things, and a sonogram will help rule out some of them."**

 **"Poppy calmed down. She couldn't remember what a gallbladder did but she was pretty sure she didn't need it. Anything involving an organ with such a silly name couldn't be serious. Dr. Franklin was going on, talking about the pancreas and pancreatitis and palpable livers, and Poppy's mother was nodding as if she understood, but the panic was gone. It was as if a cover had been whisked neatly over a black pit, leaving no sign that it had ever been there.**

 **""You can get the sonogram done at the Children's Hospital across the street," Dr. Franklin was saying. "Come back here after it's finished."**

"Was it serious, Poppy?" asked Eric.

Poppy shushed him.

 **"Poppy's mother was nodding, calm, serious, and efficient. Like Phil. Or Cliff. Okay, we'll get this taken care of.**

 **"Poppy felt just slightly important. Nobody she knew had been to a hospital for tests.**

 **"Her mother ruffled her hair as they walked out of Dr. Franklin's office. "Well, Poppet. What have you done to yourself now?"**

 **"Poppy smiled impishly. She was fully recovered from her earlier worry. "Maybe I'll have an operation and I'll have an interesting scar," she said, to amuse her mother.**

 **"Let's hope not," her mother said, unamused.**

James looked unamused as well. "There's no reason to worry," Poppy told him. She smiled and he just closed his eyes again, leaning against her.

 **"The Suzanne G. Monteforte Children's Hospital was a handsome gray building with sinuous curves and giant picture windows. Poppy looked thoughtfully into the gift shop as they passed. It was clearly a** _ **kid's**_ **gift shop, full of rainbow Slinkys and stuffed animals that a visiting adult could buy as a last-minute present.**

 **"A girl came out of the gift shop. She was a little older than Poppy, maybe seventeen or eighteen. She was pretty, with an expertly made-up face - and a cute bandana which didn't quite conceal the fact that she had no hair. She looked happy, round-cheeked, with earrings dangling jauntily beneath the bandana - and Poppy felt a stab of sympathy.**

 **"Sympathy...and fear. That girl was** _ **really**_ **sick. Which was what hospitals were for, of course - for really sick people. Suddenly Poppy wanted to get her own tests over with and get out of here.**

 **"The sonogram wasn't painful, but it was vaguely disturbing. A technician smeared some kind of jelly over Poppy's middle, then ran a cold scanner over it, shooting sound waves into her, taking pictures of her insides. Poppy found her mind returning to the pretty girl with no hair.**

 **"To distract herself, she thought about James. And for some reason what came to mind was the first time she'd seen James, the day when he came to kindergarten. He'd been a pale, slight boy with big gray eyes and something subtly** _ **weird**_ **about him that made bigger boys start picking on him immediately."**

"Which is why I never went to school," Morgead said triumphantly. Jez just swatted his head and the two erupted into giggles.

 **"On the playground they ganged up on him like hounds around a fox - until Poppy saw what was happening.**

 **"Even at five she'd had a great right hook. She'd burst into the group, slapping faces and kicking shins until the big boys went running."**

"Sounds like someone I know," Ash said quietly in Mary-Lynette's ear. She caressed his cheek with the back of her hand and smiled, not taking her eyes off Keller reading the story.

 **"Then she'd turned to James.**

 **""Wanna be friends?""**

"So that's how it happened then? The story of James and Poppy. Poppy and James," Quinn said. He gave a low whistle. "James, you come out of that story sounding a bit wussy."

James rolled his eyes and Rashel pinched Quinn's arm.

 **"After a brief hesitation he'd nodded shyly. There had been something oddly sweet in his smile.**

 **"But Poppy had soon found that her new friend was strange in small ways. When the class lizard died, he'd picked up the corpse without revulsion and asked Poppy if she wanted to hold it. The teacher had been horrified.**

 **"When he got older, the big kids stopped picking on him. He grew up to be as tall as any of them, and surprisingly strong and quick - and he developed a reputation for being tough and dangerous. When he got angry, something almost frightening shone in his gray eyes.**

 **"He never got angry with Poppy, though. They'd remained best friends all these years. When they'd reached junior high, he'd started having girlfriends - all the girls at school wanted him - but he never kept any of them long. And he never confided in them; to them he was a mysterious, secretive bad boy. Only Poppy saw the other side of him, the vulnerable, caring side.**

 **""Okay," the technician said, bringing Poppy back to the present with a jerk. "You're done; let's wipe this jelly off you."**

 **""So what did it show?" Poppy asked, glancing up at the monitor.**

 **""Oh, your own doctor will tell you that. The radiologist will read the results and call them over to your doctor's office." The technician's voice was absolutely neutral - so neutral that Poppy looked at her sharply."**

"I gotta say, Poppy," Hannah began, "you seem to have a lot of weird feelings that end up to be true. Why is that?"

"Spoilers," was all Poppy said.

 **"Back in Dr. Franklin's office, Poppy fidgeted while her mother paged through out-of-date magazines. When the nurse said "Mrs. Hilgard," they both stood up.**

 **""Uh - no," the nurse said, looking flustered. "Mrs. Hilgard, the doctor just wants to see you for a minute - alone."**

 **"Poppy and her mother looked at each other. Then, slowly, Poppy's mother put down her** _ **People**_ **magazine and followed the nurse.**

 **"Poppy stared after her.**

 **"Now, what on** _ **earth...**_ **Dr. Franklin had never done** _ **that**_ **before.**

 **"Poppy realized that her heart was beating hard. Not fast, just hard. Bang...bang...bang, in the middle of her chest, shaking her insides. Making her feel unreal and giddy.**

"This doesn't seem to be good..." Maggie said, holding Delos closer.

"No," he replied. "It doesn't."

 **"Don't think about it. It's probably nothing. Read a magazine.**

 **"But her fingers didn't seem to work properly. When she finally got the magazine open, hey eyes ran over the words without delivering them to her brain.**

 **"What are they talking about in there? What's going** _ **on?**_ **It's been so long...**

 **"It kept getting longer. As Poppy waited, she found herself vacillating between two modes of thought. 1) Nothing serious was wrong with her and her mother was going to come out and laugh at her for even imagining there was, and 2) Something awful was wrong with her and she was going to have to go through some dreadful treatment to get well. The covered pit and the open pit. When the pit was covered, it seemed laughable, and she felt embarrassed for having such melodramatic thoughts. But when it was open, she felt as if all her life before this had been a dream, and now she was hitting hard reality at last.**

 **"I wish I could tell James, she thought.**

 **"At last the nurse said, "Poppy? Come on in."**

 **"Dr. Franklin's office was wood-paneled, with certificates and diplomas hanging on the walls. Poppy sat down in a leather chair and tried not to be too obvious about scanning her mother's face.**

 **"Her mother looked...too calm. Calm with strain underneath. She was smiling, but it was an odd, slightly unsteady smile.**

 **"Oh, god, Poppy thought. Something** _ **is**_ **going on.**

 **""Now, there's no cause for alarm, the doctor said, and immediately Poppy became more alarmed. Her palms stuck to the leather of the chair arms."**

Everyone was quiet to figure out Poppy's verdict. They knew something was wrong - they knew that she was on the verge of death before James brought her back. They didn't know what, though.

James did. He gently stroked Poppy copper hair and grimaced. He had never heard the story this way before. It was...gripping. He knew the outcome, but it was impossible to pull himself from those feelings of yesteryear. The worry, the doubt, the hatred he felt for himself. He couldn't even bare to look at Poppy's sad eyes. Instead, he buried his face in her hair, smelling her shampoo. He held tighter to her hand.

 **""Something showed up in your sonogram that's a little unusual, and I'd like to do a couple of other tests," Dr. Franklin said, his voice slow and measured, soothing. "One of the tests requires that you fast from midnight the day before you take it. But your mom says you didn't eat breakfast today."**

 **"Poppy said mechanically, "I ate one Frosted Flake."**

 **"** _ **One**_ **Frosted Flake? Well, I think we can count that as fasting. We'll do the tests today, and I think it's best to admit you to the hospital for them. Now, the tests are called a CAT scan and an ERCP - that's short for something even I can't pronounce." He smiled. Poppy just stared at him.**

 **""There's nothing frightening about either of these tests," he said gently. "The CAT scan is like an X-ray. The ERCP involves passing a tube down the throat, through the stomach, and into the pancreas. The we inject into the tube a liquid that will show up on X rays..."**

 **"His mouth kept moving, but Poppy had stopped hearing the words. She was more frightened than she could remember being in a long time.**

 **"I was just joking about the interesting scar, she thought. I don't want a** _ **real**_ **disease. I don't want to go to the hospital, and I don't want to see any tubes down my throat.**

 **"She looked at her mother in mute appeal. Her mother took her hand.**

 **""It's no big deal, sweetheart. We'll just go home and pack a few things for you; then we'll come back."**

 **""I have to go into the hospital** _ **today**_ **?"**

 **""I think that would be best," Dr. Franklin said.**

 **"Poppy's hand tightened on her mother's. Her mind was a humming blank.**

 **"When they left the office, her mother said, "Thank you, Owen." Poppy had never heard her call Dr. Franklin by his first name before.**

 **"Poppy didn't ask why. She didn't say anything as they walked out of the building and got in the car. As they drove home, her mother began to chat about ordinary things in a light, calm voice, and Poppy made herself answer. Pretending that everything was normal, while all the time the terrible sick feeling raged inside her.**

 **"It was only when they were in her bedroom, packing mystery books and cotton pajamas into a small suitcase, that she asked almost casually, "So what exactly does he think it wrong with me?"**

 **"Her mother didn't answer immediately. She was looking down at the suitcase. Finally she said, Well, he's not sure** _ **anything**_ **is wrong."**

 **""But what does he** _ **think**_ **? He must think something. And he was talking about my pancreas - I mean it sounds like he thinks there's something wrong with my pancreas. I thought he was looking at my** _ **gallbladder**_ **or whatever. I didn't even know that my pancreas was** _ **involved**_ **in this..."**

 **""Sweetheart." Her mother took her by the shoulders, and Poppy realized that she was getting a little overwrought. She took a deep breath.**

 **""I just want to know the truth, okay? I just want to have some idea of what's going on. It's my body, and I've got a right to know what they're looking for - don't I?"**

 **"It was a brave speech and she didn't mean any of it."**

Keller had began to read quickly now. No longer did she stumble over words. She said them clearly and everyone was leaned in toward her.

What was happening to Poppy?

 **"What she really wanted was reassurance, a promise that Dr. Franklin was looking for something trivial. That the worst that could happen wouldn't be so bad. She didn't get it.**

 **""Yes, you do have a right to know." Her mother let a long breath out, then spoke slowly. "Poppy, Dr. Franklin was concerned about your pancreas all along. Apparently things can happen in your pancreas that cause changes in other organs, like the gallbladder and liver. When Dr. Franklin felt those changes, he decided to check things out with a sonogram."**

 **"Poppy swallowed. "And he said the sonogram was - unusual. How unusual?"**

 **""Poppy, this is all preliminary..." Her mother saw her face and sighed. She went on reluctantly. "The sonogram showed that there might be something in your pancreas. Something that shouldn't be there. That's why Dr. Franklin wants the other tests; they'll tell us for sure. But-"**

 **""Something that shouldn't be there? You mean...like a tumor? Like...cancer?" Strange, it was hard to say the words.**

 **"Her mother nodded once. "Yes. Like cancer.""**

No one said anything for a while. Mary-Lynette reached down to pat Poppy's shoulder. Poppy herself was slumped next to James, curled up to his chest. She didn't like living through this the first time.

"Please keep going," David said, holding Gillian closer.

Keller handed to book to Galen. Galen closed his eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and turned the page.


	4. Secret Vampire Chapter 3

Galen closed his eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and turned the page.

 **"All Poppy could think of was the pretty bald girl in the gift shop.**

 **"Cancer.**

 **""But- but they can do something about it, can't they?" she said, and even to her own ears her voice sounded very young. "I mean - if they had to, they could take my pancreas out...""**

Galen was one of _those_ readers. the ones who actually said the quotes in voices. And his "Poppy voice" was scarily similar to the real Poppy voice.

 **"Oh, sweetheart,** _ **of course.**_ **" Poppy's mother took Poppy in her arms. "I promise you; if there's something wrong, we'll do anything and everything to fix it. I'd go to the ends of the earth to make you well. You** _ **know**_ **that. And at this point we aren't even sure that there** _ **is**_ **something wrong. Dr. Franklin said that it's extremely rare for teenagers to get a tumor in the pancreas. Extremely rare. So let's not worry about things until we have to."**

 **"Poppy felt herself relax; the pit was covered again. But somewhere near her core she still felt cold.**

 **""I have to call James.""**

"Of course you do," said Quinn.

 **"Her mother nodded. "Just make it quick."**

 **"Poppy kept her fingers crossed as she dialed James's apartment. Please be there, please** _ **be**_ **there, she thought. And for once, he was. He answered laconically, but as soon as he heard her voice, he said, "What's wrong?"**

 **"Nothing - well, everything. Maybe." Poppy heard herself give a wild sort of laugh. It wasn't exactly a laugh.**

 **""What happened?" James said sharply. "Did you have a fight with Cliff?"**

 **""No. Cliff's at the office. And I'm going into the hospital."**

 **""Why?"**

 **""They think I might have cancer."**

 **"It was a tremendous relief to say it, a sort of emotional relief. Poppy laughed again.**

 **"Silence on the other end of the line.**

 **""Hello?"**

 **""I'm here," James said. Then he said, "I'm coming over."**

 **""No, there's no point. I've got to leave in a minute." She waited for him to say that he'd come and see her in the hospital, but he didn't.**

 **""James, would you do something for me? Would you find out whatever you can about cancer in the pancreas? Just in case."**

 **""Is that what they think you have?"**

 **""They don't know for sure. They're giving me some tests. I just hope they don't have to use any needles." Another laugh, but inside she was reeling. She wished James would say something comforting."**

"I love you," he whispered in Poppy's ear. She smiled sadly and held on closer to him. She loved him so much.

 **""I'll see what I can find on the Net." His voice was unemotional, almost expressionless.**

 **""And then you can tell me later - they'll probably let you call me at the hospital."**

 **""Yeah."**

 **""Okay, I have to go. My mom's waiting."**

 **"'Take care of yourself."**

 **"Poppy hung up, feeling empty. Her mother was standing in the doorway.**

 **""Come on, Poppet. Let's go.""**

"James, you are terrible at the whole "comforting" thing," Mary-Lynette said.

James shrugged and smiled just a little.

 **"James sat very still, looking at the phone without seeing it.**

 **"She was scared, and he couldn't help her. He'd never been very good at inspirational small talk. It wasn't, he thought grimly, in his nature.**

 **"To give comfort you had to have a comfortable view of the world. And James had seen too much of the world to have any illusions."**

"Ooh, scary James!" Keller said "He sounds like Batman." This got some smiles out of the gang.

 **"He could deal with cold facts, though. Pushing aside a pile of assorted clutter, he turned on his laptop and dialed up the internet.**

 **"Within minutes he was using Gopher to search the National Cancer Institute's CancerNet. The first file he found was listed "Pancreatic cancer_Patient." He scanned it. Stuff about what the pancreas did, stages of the disease, treatments. Nothing too gruesome.**

 **"Then he went into "Pancreatic cancer_Physician" - a file meant for doctors. The first line held him paralyzed.**

 **"** _ **Cancer of the exocrine pancreas is rarely curable.**_

 **"His eyes skimmed down the lines** _ **Overall survival rate...metastasis...poor response to chemotherapy and surgery...pain...**_

 **"Pain. Poppy was brave, but facing constant pain would crush anyone. Especially when the outlook for the future was so bleak.**

 **"He looked at the top of the article again. Overall survival rate less than three percent. If the cancer had spread, less than one percent.**

 **"There must be more information. James went searching again and came up with several articles from newspapers and medical journals. They were even worse than the NCI file.**

 **"** _ **The overwhelming majority of patients will die, and die swiftly, experts say...Pancreatic cancer is usually inoperable, rapid, and debilitatingly painful...the average survival if the cancer has spread can be three weeks to three months.**_

 **"Three weeks to three months.**

 **"James stared at his laptop's screen. His chest and throat felt tight; his vision was blurry. He tried to control it, telling himself that nothing was certain yet. Poppy was being tested; that didn't mean that she** _ **had**_ **cancer.**

 **"But the words rang hollow in his mind. He had known for some time that something was wrong with Poppy. Something was - disturbed - inside her. He'd sensed that the rhythms of her body were slightly off; he could tell she was losing sleep. And the pain - he always knew when the pain was there. He just hadn't realized how serious it was."**

"Oh Jamie," Poppy said, nuzzling close. "Jamie, why didn't you tell me?"

"You never would have believe me," James replied. "How do you tell your best friend that you can sense a tumor inside of her with your vampiric abilities because - oh wait -you're a vampire."

Poppy was quiet and tuned into the story again. James felt guilty. He should have made her go see a doctor sooner. He should have told her the pain that she was feeling was serious.

He should have realized - a lot of things.

 **"Poppy knows, too, he thought. Deep down, she knows that something very bad is going on, or she wouldn't have asked me to find this out. But what does she expect me to do, walk in and tell her she's going to die in a few months?**

 **"And am I supposed to stand around and watch it?**

 **"His lips pulled back from his teeth slightly. Not a nice smile, more of a savage grimace. He'd seen a lot of death in seventeen years. He knew the stages of dying, knew the difference betwen the moment the breathing stopped and the moment the brain turned off; knew the unmistakable ghost-like pallor of a fresh corpse. the way the eyeballs flattened out about five minutes after expiration. Now, that was a detail most people weren't familiar with. Five minutes after you die, your eyes go flat and filmy gray. And then your body starts to shrink. You actually get smaller.**

 **"Poppy was so small already.**

 **"He'd always been afraid of hurting her. She looked so fragile, and he could hurt somebody much stronger if he wasn't careful. That was one reason he kept a certain distance between them.**

 **"One reason. Not the main one."**

"Ooh! Let me guess!" Ash put his hand up.

Morgead pointed to him. "Yes Mr. Redfern," he said in an announcer-voice.

Ash pretended to think. "Poppy smells?" she guessed.

Morgead made an over dramatic "wrong" face. "Oh, sorry!"

"Mr. Blackthorn! Mr. Blackthorn!" called Quinn. "May I wager a guess?"

Morgead pointed at him. "He has an undeniable attraction to her meaning they're - _soulmates_!"

"Right on the money!" Morgead said. He and Jez went crazy. They high-fived each other and attempted to start a two-person wave. Even James and Poppy smiled a little.

"If you don't mind," Keller said, a teasing light in her eye. She pointed at Galen who playfully "harrumph"-ed.

 **"The other was something he couldn't put into words, not even to himself. It brought him right up to the edge of the forbidden. To face the rules that had been ingrained in him since birth.**

 **"None of the Night People could fall in love with a human. The sentence for breaking the law was death.**

 **"It didn't matter. He knew what he had to do now. Where he had to go.**

 **"Cold and precise, Jaes logged off the Net. He stood, picked up his sunglasses, slid them into place. Went out into the merciless June sunlight, slamming his apartment door behind him."**

"Oh, how _cool_ of you, James-y," said Ash. "Our own James Dean. A cool rider."

"Stuff it, Ash," Mary-Lynette said with a wink at James.

 **"Poppy looked around the hospital room unhappily. There was nothing so awful about it, except that it was too cold, but...it was a hospital. That was the truth behind the pretty pink-and-blue curtains and the closed-circuit TV and the dinner menu decorated with cartoon characters. It was a place you didn't come unless you were Pretty Darn Sick.**

 **"Oh, come on, she told herself. Cheer up a** _ **little**_ **/ What happened to the power of Poppytive thinking? Where's Poppyanna when you need her? Where's Mary Poppy-ins?**

 **"God, I'm even making** _ **myself**_ **gag, she thought.**

 **"But she found herself smiling faintly, with self-deprecating humor if nothing else. And the nurses** _ **were**_ **nice here, and the bed was extremely cool. It had a remote control on the side that bent it into every imaginable position.**

 **"Her mother came in while she was playing with it.**

 **""I got a hold of Cliff; he'll be here later. Meanwhile, I think you'd better change so you're ready for the tests."**

 **"Poppy looked at the blue-and-white striped seersucker hospital robe and felt a painful spasm that seemed to reach from her stomach to her back. And something in the deepest part of her said,** _ **Please, not yet. I'll never be ready.**_

 **"James pulled his Integra into a parking space on Ferry Street near Stoneham. It wasn't a nice part of town. Tourists visiting Los Angeles avoided this area.**

 **"The building was sagged and decrepit. Several stories were vacant, with cardboard taped over broken windows. Graffiti covered the peeling paint on the cinder-block walls.**

 **"Even the smog seemed to hang thicker here. The air itself seemed yellow and cloying. Like a poisonous miasma, it darkened the brightest day and made everything look unreal and ominous.**

 **"James walked to the back of the building. There, among the freight entrances of the stores in front, was one door unmarked by graffiti. The sign above it had no words. Just a picture of a black flower.**

 **"A black iris."**

"Jeez, James," said Keller. "Such descriptions. "The building was big and there was lots of smog. People were scared of the place.""

James rolled his eyes.

 **"James knocked. The door opened two inches, and a skinny kid in a wrinkled T-shirt peered out with beady eyes.**

 **""It's me, Ulf," James said, resisting the temptation to kick the door in. Werewolves, he thought. Why do they have to be so territorial?**

 **"The door opened just enough to let James in. The skinny kid glanced suspiciously outside before shutting it again.**

 **""Go mark a fire hydrant or something," James suggested over his shoulder.**

 **"The place looked like a small cafe. A darkened room with little round tables crammed in side by side, surrounded by wooden chairs. There were a few scattered people sitting down, all of them looking like teenagers. Two guys were playing pool in the back.**

 **"James went over to one of the round tables where a girl was sitting. He took off his sunglasses and sat down.**

 **""Hi, Gisele."**

 **"The girl looked up. She had dark hair and blue eyes. Slanted, mysterious eyes which seemed to be outlined in black eyeliner - ancient-Egyptian style.**

 **"She looked like a witch, which was no coincidence.**

 **""James. I've missed you."Her voice was soft and husky. "How's it going these days?" She cupped her hand around the unlit candle on the table and made a quick motion as if releasing a captive bird. As her hands moved away, the candle wick burst into flame."**

"Ahh, yes," Ash said. "Gisele." Mary-Lynette hit him _hard_. Quinn giggled.

 **"Still as gorgeous as ever," she said, smiling at him in the dancing golden light.**

 **""That goes for you, too. But the truth is, I'm here on business."**

 **"She arched an eyebrow. "Aren't you always?"**

 **""This is different. I want to ask your...professional opinion on something."**

 **"She spread her slender hands, silver fingernails glowing in the candle's flames. On her index finger was a ring with a black dahlia. "My powers are at your disposal. Is there someone you want cursed? Or maybe you want to attract good luck or prosperity. I know you can't need a love charm."**

 **""I want a spell - to cure a disease. I don't know if it needs to be specific to the disease, or if something more general would work. A - general health spell..."**

 **""James." She chuckled lazily and put a hand on his, stroking lightly. "You're really worked up, aren't you? I've never seen you like this."**

 **"It was true; he was experiencing a major loss of control. He worked against it, disciplining himself into perfect stillness.**

 **""What particular disease are we talking about?"Gisele asked, when he didn't speak again.**

 **""Cancer."**

 **"Gisele threw her head back and laughed."You're telling me that your kind can get cancer? I don't believe it. Eat and breathe all you want, but don't try to convince me the lamia get human diseases."**

 **"This was the hard part. James said quietly, "The person with the disease isn't my kind. She's not you kind, either. She's human."**

 **"Gisele's smile disappeared. Her voice was no longer husky or lazy as she said, "An outsider?** _ **Vermin?**_ **Are you crazy, James?"**

 **"She doesn't know anything about me or the Night World. I don't want to break any laws. I just want her well."**

 **"The slanted blue eyes were searching his face. "Are you sure you haven't broken the laws already?" And when James looked determined not to understand this, she added in a lower voice, "Are you sure you're not in love with her?"**

 **"James made himself meet the probing gaze directly. He spoke softly and dangerously. "Don't say that unless you want a fight."**

 **"Gisele looked away. She played with her ring. The candle flame dwindled and died.**

 **""James, I've known you for a long time," she said without looking up. "I don't want you to get in trouble. I believe you when you say you haven't broken any laws - but I think we'd both better forget this conversation. Just walk out now and pretend it never happened."**

 **""And the spell?"**

 **""There's no such thing. And if there was, I wouldn't help you. Just go."**

 **"James went."**

"What do you mean you just left?" Maggie said. "She could have given you a cure - something! I'm sure there was a spell or a-"

"There wasn't," James replied. "Gisele is all talk. She would have helped me if there was one." He turned to Poppy then. "I'm sorry I couldn't do it."

Poppy only smiled her sad little smile. "I'm here, aren't I? You did fine."

James didn't believe her.

 **"There was one other possibility that he could think of. He drove to Brentwood, to an area that was a different from the last as a diamond is from coal. He parked in a covered carport by a quaint adobe building with a foundation. Red a purple bougainvillea climbed up the walls to the Spanish tile on the roof.**

 **"Walking through an archway into a courtyard, he came to an office with gold letters on the door.** _ **Jasper R. Rasmussen, Ph. D.**_ **His father was a psychologist.**

 **"Before he could reach for the handle, the door opened and a woman came out. She was like most of his father's clients, forty-something, obviously rich, wearing a designer jogging suit and high-heeled sandals."**

"What a dog," repeated Ash. "What a family to be a part of."

 **"She looked a little dazed and dreamy, and there were two small, rapidly healing puncture wounds on her neck.**

 **"James went into the office. There was a waiting room, but no receptionist. Strains of Mozart came from the inner office. James knocked on the door.**

 **""Dad?"**

 **"The door opened to reveal a handsome man with dark hair. He was wearing a perfectly tailored gray suit and a shirt with French cuffs. He had an aura of power and purpose.**

 **"But no of warmth. He said, "What is it, James?" in the same voice he used for his clients; throughtful, deliberate, confident.**

 **""Do you have a minute?"**

 **"His father glanced at his Rolex. "As a matter of fact, my next patient won't be here for half an hour."**

 **""There's something I need to talk about."**

 **"His father looked at him keenly, then gestured to an overstuffed chair. James eased into it, but found himself pulling forward to sit on the edge.**

 **""What's on your mind?"**

 **"James searched for the right words. Everything depended on whether he could make his father understand. But what were the right words? At last he settled for bluntness.**

 **""It's Poppy. She's been sick for a while, and now they think she has cancer."**

 **"Dr. Rasmussen looked surprised. "I'm sorry to hear that." But there was no sorrow in his voice.**

 **""And it's bad cancer. It's incredibly painful and just about one hundred percent incurable."**

 **""That's a pity." Again there was nothing but mild surprise in his father's voice. And suddenly James knew where** _ **that**_ **came from. It wasn't a surprise that Poppy was sick; it was surprise that James had made the trip just to tell him this.**

 **""Dad, if she's got this cancer, she** _ **dying**_ **. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"**

 **"Dr. Rasmussen steepled his fingers and stared into the ruddy gloss of his mahogany desk. He spoke slowly and steadily. "James, we've been through this before. You know that your mother and I are worried about you getting too close to Poppy. Too...attached... to her."**

 **"James felt a surge of cold rage. "Like I got too attached to Miss Emma?""**

"Who's Miss Emma?" Eric asked. He looked to Thea, who shrugged.

"Spoilers," James repeated Poppy.

 **"Hid father didn't blink. "Something like that."**

 **"James fought the pictures that wanted to form in his mind. He couldn't think about Miss Emma now; he needed to be detached. That was the only way to convince his father.**

 **""Dad, what I'm trying to say is that I've known Poppy just about all my life. She's useful to me."**

 **""How? Not in the obvious way. You've never fed on her, have you?"**

 **"James swallowed, feeling nauseated. Feed on Poppy? Use her like that? Even the thought of it made him sick."**

"See? That's sweet," Maggie said. She turned to Delos, who shook his head in non-agreement. "Well, I think it's honorable that James only wanted to be with Poppy for one reason."

"For the sex?" Morgead suggested. Jez laughed and swatted his head once more.

" _No_ ," Maggie said. "To love her. To be close with her!"

Delos shrugged. "I don't see that." Maggie rolled her eyes.

 **""Dad, she's my friend," he said, abandoning any pretense of objectivity. "I can't just watch her suffer. I can't. I have to do something about it.**

 **"His father's face cleared. "I see."**

 **"James felt dizzy with astonished relief. "You understand?"**

 **""James, at times one can't help a certain feeling of... compassion for humans. In general, I wouldn't encourage it - but you** _ **have**_ **known Poppy a long while. You feel pity for her suffering. If you want to make that suffering shorter, then, yes, I understand."**

"Us vampires are terrible people," Thierry said. "How did we get this way?"

"We were born at the top of the food chain is how," Ash said. Mary-Lynette slapped his arm.

Quinn chortled. " _I_ was born at the top of the food chain. _You_ were born somewhere underneath Mary-Lynette," he said. "How else would it be so easy for her to whip you into shape?"

"Boys," Keller said. "Shape-shifter were born at the top. I mean, we were the first and very best."

Everyone groaned in complaint. Keller rolled her eyes.

 **"The relief crashed down around James. He stared at his father for a few seconds, then said softly. "Mercy killing? I thought the Elders had put a ban on deaths in this area."**

 **""Just be reasonably discreet bout it. As long as it seems to be natural, we'll all look the other way. There won't be any reason to call the Elders."**

 **"There was a metallic taste in James's mouth. He stood and laughed shortly. "Thanks, Dad. You've really helped a lot."**

 **"His father didn't seem to hear the sarcasm. "Glad to do it, James. By the way, how are things at the apartments?"**

 **""Fine," James said emptily.**

 **"And at school?"**

 **""School's over, Dad," James said, and let himself out.**

 **"In the courtyard he leaned against an adobe wall and stared at the splashing water of the fountain.**

 **"He was out of options. Out of hope. The laws of the Night World said so.**

 **"If Poppy had the disease, she would die from it."**

Everyone was quiet for a while. They fidgeted with themselves or with their soulmates, but no one talked.

Poppy cleared her throat. "Hey, Galen, can you get me some of those leftover pancakes? They smelled so good earlier."

Galen smiled and nodded. As he went back into the kitchen, chatter started up again. Poppy leaned into James.

"What's up, Poppy?" he asked, stroking her hair.

"Thank you," was all she replied. She said it quietly, as though she were about to fall asleep.

James mirrored her sad little smile. "But I couldn't do it, baby. I couldn't save you and keep you human."

"But you _tried_."

Poppy and James's eyes met. Then, slowly, his eyes closed and he leaned his forehead down to rest it on hers. She pushed her chin up to meet his lips in a small kiss. She knew that he blamed himself, but there was nothing he could do. There was no spell. She would have died without him.

 _I hope you know that,_ she thought to him. He shrugged and looked away from her. Before she could continue, Galen brought her over a small plate of pancakes.

"Thank you Galen." She took the plate from him. He then handed her the book.

"I think it's your turn to read."

Poppy shoved another large bite of pancakes into her mouth and took the book from him. She flipped to a new page and began.


	5. Secret Vampire Chapter 4

Poppy flipped to a new page and began.

 **"Poppy was staring without appetite at a dinner plate of chicken nuggets and french fries when Dr. Franklin came into the room.**

 **"The tests were over. The CAT scan had been all right, if claustrophobic, but the ERCP had been awful. Poppy could still feel the ghost of the tube in her throat every time she swallowed.**

 **""You're leaving me all this great hospital food," Dr. Franklin said with gentle humor. Poppy managed a smile for him.**

 **"He went on talking about innocuous things. He didn't say anything about the test results, and Poppy had no idea when they were supposed to come in. She was suspicious of Dr. Franklin, though. Something about him, the gentle way he patted her foot under the blanket or the shadows around his eyes...**

 **"When he casually suggested that Poppy's mother might want to "come for a little walk down the hall," Poppy's suspicion crystallized.**

 **"He's going to tell her. He's got the results, but he doesn't want me to know.**

 **"Her plan was made in the same instant. She yawned and said, "Go on, Mom; I'm a little bit sleepy." Then she lay back and shut her eyes."**

"You little minx," Rashel said with a sly smile.

 **"As soon as they were gone, she got off the bed. She watched their retreating backs as they went down the hall into another doorway. Then, in her stocking feet, she quietly followed them.**

 **"She was delayed several minutes at the nursing station. "Just stretching my legs," she said to a nurse who looked inquiringly at her, and she pretended to be walking at random. When the nurse picked up a clipboard and went into one of the patients' rooms, Poppy hurried on down the corridor.**

 **"The room at the end was the waiting room - she'd seen it earlier. It had a TV and a complete kitchen set up so relatives could hang out in comfort. The door was ajar and Poppy approached it stealthily. She could hear the low rumble of Dr. Franklin's voice, but she could hear what he was saying.**

 **"Very cautiously Poppy edged closer. She chanced one look around the door.**

 **"She saw at once that there was no need for caution. Everyone in that room was completely occupied.**

 **"Dr. Franklin was sitting on one of the couches. Beside him was an African-American woman with glasses on a chain around her neck She was wearing the white coat of a doctor.**

 **"On the other couch was Poppy's stepfather, Cliff. His normally perfect dark hair was slightly mussed, his rock-steady jaw was working. He had his arm around her mother. Dr. Franklin was talking to both of them, his hand on her mother's shoulder.**

 **"And Poppy's mother was sobbing.**

 **"Poppy pulled back from the doorway.**

 **"Oh, my God. I've got it."**

"Oh, Poppy," said Gillian.

 **"She'd never seen her mother cry before. Not when Poppy's grandmother had died, not during the divorce form Poppy's father. Her mother's specialty was coping with thing; she was the best coper Poppy had ever known.**

 **"But now...**

 **"I've got it. I've definitely got it.**

 **"Still, maybe it wasn't so bad. Her mom was shocked, okay, that was natural. But it didn't mean that Poppy was going to** _ **die**_ **or anything. Poppy had all of modern medicine on her side.**

 **"She kept telling herself this as she edged away from the waiting room.**

 **"She didn't edge fast enough, though. Before she got out of ear shot, she heard her mother's voice, raised in something like anguish.**

 **""** _ **My baby. Oh, my little girl.**_ **""**

Poppy choked. She remembered this. She remembered this feeling. She could still hear her mother's voice - her mother who she hadn't seen in over a year. It hit her now just how much she missed her mother.

James rubbed circles on her back with his hand, calming her. Poppy just shook her head, curls tousling about.

"I'm fine."

 **"Poppy froze.**

 **"And then Cliff, loud and angry: "You're trying to tell me there's** _ **nothing?**_ **"**

 **"Poppy couldn't feel her own breathing. Against her will, she moved back to the door.**

 **""Dr. Loftus is an oncologist; an expert on this sort of cancer. She can explain better than I can," Dr. Franklin was saying.**

 **"Then a new voice came - the other doctor. At first Poppy could only catch scattered phrases that didn't seem to** _ **mean**_ **anything: adenocarcinoma, splenic venous occlusion, Stage Three. Medical jargon. Then Dr. Loftus said, "To put it simply, the problem is that the tumor has spread. It's spread to the liver and the lymph nodes around the pancreas. That means it's unresectable - we can't operate."**

 **"Cliff said, "But chemotherapy..."**

 **""We might try a combination of radiation and chemotherapy with something called 5-fluorouracil. We've had some results with that. But I won't mislead you. At best it may improve her survival time by a few weeks. At this point, we're looking at palliative measures - ways to reduce her pain and improve the** _ **quality**_ **of the time she has left. Do you understand?""**

"Oh, Poppy," said Hannah.

"Please, guys," Poppy said. "I'm fine now, really! Look, I'm as healthy as a horse. No sympathy and no "Oh, Poppy"s, please."

 **"Poppy could hear choking sobs from her mother, but she couldn't seem to move. She felt as if she were listening to some play on the radio. As if it had nothing to do with her.**

 **"Dr. Franklin said, "There are some research protocols right here in southern California. They're experimenting with immunotherapy and cryogenic surgery. Again we're talking about palliation rather than a cure -"**

 **""Damn it!" Cliff's voice was explosive. "You're talking about a** _ **little**_ **girl! How did this get to - Stage Three - without anybody noticing? This kid was dancing all night two days ago."**

 **""Mr. Hilgard, I'm sorry," Dr. Loftus said so softly that Poppy could barely pick up the words. "This kind of cancer is called a silent disease, because there are very few symptoms until it's very far advanced. That's why survival rate is so low. And I have to tell that Poppy is only the second teenager I've seen with this kind of tumor. Dr. Franklin made an extremely acute diagnosis when he decided to send her in for testing."**

 **""** _ **I**_ **should have known," Poppy's mother said in a thick voice. "I should have made her come in sooner. I should have- I should have-"**

 **"There was a banging sound. Poppy looked around the door, forgetting to be inconspicuous. Her mother was hitting the Formica table over and over. Cliff was trying to stop her.**

 **"Poppy reeled back.**

 **"Oh, God, I've got to get out of her. I can't see this. I can't look at this.**

 **"She turned and walked back down the hall. Her legs moved. Just like always. Amazing that they still worked.**

 **"And everything around her was just like always. The nursing station was still decorated for the Fourth of July. Her suitcase was still on the padded window seat in her room. The hardwood floor was still solid underneath her.**

 **"Everything was the same - but how could it be? How could the walls be still standing? How could the TV be blaring in the next room?**

 **"I'm going to die, Poppy thought.**

 **"Strangely enough, she didn't feel frightened. What she felt was vastly surprised. And the surprise kept coming, over and over, with every thought being interrupted by those four words.**

 **"It's my fault because (I'm going to die) I didn't go to the doctor's sooner.**

 **"Cliff said "damn" for me (I'm going to die). I didn't know he liked me enough to swear.**

 **"Her mind was racing wildly.**

 **"Something** _ **in**_ **me, she thought. I'm going to die because of something that's** _ **inside**_ **me, like the alien in that movie. It's in me right now. Right now.**

 **"She put both hands to her stomach, then pulled up her T-shirt to stare at her abdomen. The skin was smooth, unblemished. She didn't feel any pain.**

 **"But it's in there and I'm going to die because of it. Die soon. I wonder how soon? I didn't hear them talk about that.**

 **"I need James."**

"Ding!" said Quinn, trying to break the mood. the best he got was a light smile out of Poppy.

 **"Poppy reached for her phone with a feeling that her hand was detached from her body. She dialed, thinking** _ **Please be there**_ **.**

 **"But this time it didn't work. The phone rang and rang. When the answering machine came on, Poppy said, "Call me at the hospital." Then she hung up and stared at the plastic pitcher of ice water by her bedside.**

 **"He'll get in later, she thought. And then he'll call me. I just have to hang on until then.**

 **"Poppy wasn't sure why she thought this, but suddenly it was her goal. To hang on until she could talk to James. She didn't need to think about anything until then; she just had to survive. Once she talked to James, she could figure out what she was supposed to be feeling, what she was supposed to** _ **do**_ **now.**

 **"There was a light knock at the door. Startled, Poppy looked up to see her mother and Cliff. For a moment all she could focus on was their faces, which gave her the strange illusion that their faces were floating in midair.**

 **"Her mother had red and swollen eyes. Cliff was pale, like a piece of crumpled white paper, and his jaw looked stubbly and dark in contrast.**

 **"Oh, my God, are they going to** _ **tell**_ **me? They** _ **can't**_ **; they can't make me listen to it.**

 **"Poppy had the wild impulse to run. She was on the verge of panic.**

 **"But her mother said, "Sweetie, some of you friends are here to see you. Phil called them this afternoon to let them know you were in the hospital, and they just arrived."**

 **"** _ **James**_ **, Poppy thought, something springing free inside her chest. But James wasn't part of the group that came crowding through the doorway. It was mostly girls from school.**

 **"It doesn't matter. He'll call later. I don't have to think now."**

"The best way to escape your pain is to surround yourself with menial tasks," Thierry said.

"Oh, you would know," Hannah said, holding his hand tighter.

 **"As a matter of fact, it was impossible to think with so many visitors in the room. And that was good. It was incredible that Poppy could sit there and talk to them when part of her was farther away then Neptune, but she** _ **did**_ **talk and that kept her brain turned off.**

 **"None of them had any idea that something serious was wrong with her. Not even Phil, who was at his brotherly best, very kind and considerate. They talked about ordinary things, about parties and Rollerblading and music and books. Things from Poppy's old life, which suddenly seemed to have been a hundred years ago.**

 **"Cliff talked, too, nicer than he had been since the days when he was courting Poppy's mother.**

 **"But finally the visitors left, and Poppy's mother stayed. She touched Poppy every so often with hands that shook slightly. If I didn't know, I'd know, Poppy thought. She isn't acting like Mom at all.**

 **""I think I'll stay here tonight," her mother said. Not quite managing to sound offhand. "The nurse said I can sleep on the window seat; it's really a couch for parents. I'm just trying to decide whether I should run back to the house and get some things."**

 **""Yes, go," Poppy said. There was nothing else she could say and still pretend that she didn't know. Besides, her mom undoubtedly needed some time by herself, away from this.**

 **"Just as her mother left, a nurse in a flowered blouse and green scrub pants came in to take Poppy's temperature and blood pressure. And then Poppy was alone.**

 **"It was late. She could still hear a TV, but it was far away. The door was ajar, but the hallway outside was dim. A hush seemed to have fallen over the ward.**

 **"She felt** _ **very**_ **alone, and the pain was gnawing deep inside her. Beneath the smooth skin of her abdomen, the tumor was making itself known.**

 **"Worst of all, James hadn't called."** There was a hiss of disappointment, most likely from Maggie or Keller. **"How could he not call? Didn't he know she needed him?**

 **"She wasn't sure how long she could go on not thinking about It.**

 **"Maybe the best thing would be to try to sleep. Get unconscious. Then she** _ **couldn't**_ **think.**

 **"But as soon as she turned out the light and closed her eyes, phantoms swirled around her. Not images of pretty bald girls; skeletons. Coffins. And worst of all, an endless darkness.**

 **"If I die, I won't** _ **be**_ **here. Will I be anywhere? Or will I just Not Be at all?**

 **"It was the scariest thing she'd ever imagined, Not-Being. And she was definitely thinking now, she couldn't help it. She'd lost control. A galloping fear consumed her, made her shiver under the rough sheet and thin blankets.** _ **I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to-**_

 **""Poppy.""**

There was a cheer.

 **"Her eyes flew open. For a second she couldn't identify the black silhouette in the darkened room. She had a wild idea that it was Death itself coming to get her.**

 **"Then she said, "** _ **James**_ **?"**

 **""I wasn't sure if you were asleep."**

 **"Poppy reached for the bedside button that turned on the light, but James said, "No, leave it off."** -"You dog, you." - **"I had to sneak past the nurses, and I don't want them to throw me out."**

 **"Poppy swallowed, her hands clenched on a fold of blanket. "I'm glad you came," she said. "I thought you weren't going to come." What she really wanted was to throw herself into his arms and sob and scream.**

 **"But she didn't. It wasn't just that she'd never done anything like that with him before; it was something about** _ **him**_ **that stopped her. Something she couldn't put her finger on, but that made her feel almost...frightened.**

 **"The way he was standing? The fact that she couldn't see his face? All she knew was that James suddenly seemed like a stranger.**

 **"He turned around and very slowly closed the heavy door.**

 **"Darkness. Now the only light came in through the window. Poppy felt curiously isolated from the rest of the hospital, from the rest of the world.**

 **"And that should have been good, to be alone with James, protected from everything else. If only she weren't having this weird feeling of not recognizing him.**

 **""You know the test results," he said quietly. It wasn't a question.**

 **""My mom doesn't know I know," Poppy said. How could she be talking coherently when all she wanted to do was scream? "I overheard the doctors telling her...James, I've got it. And...it's bad; it's a bad kind of cancer. They said it's already spread. They said I'm going to..." She couldn't get the last word out, even though she was shrieking it in her mind.**

Poppy paused, thoughtfully. "Did you ever think about killing me? Right then and there? The minute you knew I wasn't going to live?"

"Like how my father suggested?" James responded. "The mercy killing?" Poppy only nodded. She couldn't bring herself to think about it. "No. I was so worried about you, Poppy. I saw only one way to end your suffering. And I'm sorry that I scared you. I just...I guess I was feeling scared myself. For you."

"You didn't know how I would react," she finished for him. "You were going to tell me all of these things and how you could save me, but you couldn't gage my reaction." James simply put his forehead against hers and smiled.

 **"You're going to die," James said. He still seemed quiet and centered. Detached.**

 **""I read up on it," James went on, walking over to the window and looking out. "I know how bad it is. The articles said there was a lot of pain. Serious pain."**

 **""James," Poppy gasped.**

 **""Sometimes they have to do surgery just to try to stop the pain. But whatever they do, it won't save you. They can fill you full of chemicals and irradiate you, and you'll still die. Probably before the end of the summer.""**

"Oh, Goddess, James," Thea gasped. He was harsh, so harsh.

 **""James-"**

 **""It will be your last summer-"**

 **""** _ **James, for God's sake!"**_ **It was almost a scream. Poppy was breathing in great, shaking gulps, clinging to the blankets. "Why are you doing this to me?"**

 **"He turned and in one movement seized her wrist, his fingers closing over the plastic hospital bracelet. "I want you to understand that they can't help you," he said, ragged and intense. "Do you understand that?"**

 **""** _ **Yes**_ **, I understand," Poppy said. She could hear the mounting hysteria in her own voice. "But is that what you came here to say? Do you want to** _ **kill**_ **me?"**

 **"His fingers tightened painfully. "No! I want to save you." Then he let out a breath and repeated it more quietly, but with no less intensity. "I want to save you, Poppy."**

 **"Poppy spent a few moments just getting air in and out of her lungs. It was hard to do it without dissolving into sobs. "Well, you can't," she said at last. "Nobody can."**

 **""That's where you're wrong." Slowly, he released her wrist and gripped the bedrail instead. "Poppy there's something I've got to tell you. Something about me."**

 **""James..." Poppy could breathe now, but she didn't know what to say. As far as she could tell, James had gone crazy. In a way, if everything hadn't been so awful, she might have been flattered. James had lost his consummate cool - over her. He was upset enough about her situation to go completely nonlinear."**

"And you were _happy_ about that?" James asked incredulously. "I thought you were terrified."

"I was," Poppy said. "But I was still happy to know that you cared."

 **""You really do care," she said softly, with a laugh that was half a sob. She put a hand on his where it rested on the bedrail.**

 **"He laughed shortly in turn. His hand flipped over to grab hers roughly; then he pulled away. "You have no idea," he said in a terse, strained voice.**

 **"Looking out the window, he added, "You think you know everything about me, but you don't. There's something very important that you don't know."**

 **"By now Poppy just felt numb. She couldn't understand why James kept harping on himself, when** _ **she**_ **was the one about to die."** "Oh, God," Poppy exclaimed, embarrassed that she had thought that. **"But she tried to conjure up some sort of gentleness for him as she said, "You can tell me anything. You know that."**

 **""But this is something you won't believe. Not to mention that it's breaking the laws."**

 **""The law?"**

 **""The laws. I go by different laws than you. Human laws don't mean much to us, but our own are supposed to be unbreakable."**

 **""James," Poppy said, with blank terror. He really** _ **was**_ **losing his mind.**

 **""I don't know the right way to say it. I feel like somebody in a bad horror movie." He shrugged, and said it without turning, "I know how this sounds, but...Poppy, I'm a vampire."**

 **"Poppy sat still on the bed for a moment. Then she groped out wildly toward the bedside table. Her fingers closed on a stack of little crescent-shaped plastic basins and she threw the whole stack at him.**

 **""You** _ **bastard**_ **!" she screamed, and reached for something else to throw."**

The chapter came to a close and Poppy folded down the page she left off on. Most of the gang was collapsed in giggles.

"You...sound...like...Dracula!"Rashel said threw out spurts of laughter.

"Poppy, I'm a vampire," Ash said to Mary-Lynette in a deep, fake voice that sounded nothing like James. Poppy only laughed with the rest, while James cracked a smile.

Thierry quieted everyone down. "All right, all right," he said. "I think we all need to take a break for a while. I for one, am exhausted. We've been reading for hours and I would like a little alone time."

Everyone nodded in agreement and headed to a corner with a loved one.


	6. Filler

Poppy and James retreated to their bedroom.

"James..." she began. He just smiled and rubbed her cheek.

"I love you, Poppy," he said. He sat down on their bed and motioned for her to follow. She snuggled in his lap, resting her small body on his knee and her curly head on his warm chest.

Nothing else needed to be said. They both knew that. They were soulmates, after all. They could see into each other's minds. They knew each other's faults and accepted them fully.

James didn't want to turn Poppy into a vampire. He liked her as a human - small, elfin, and in need of protection. Although, now that he thought about it, she never _really_ was in need of protection. He had always just wanted to protect her. She was strong and now, as a vampire, she was stronger. He knew that, in her former state, they couldn't have shared their whole lives as much as two vampires could. But...he kept coming back to the _what if_ s.

 _What if I could have found a spell?_

 _What if she lived through it on her own?_

 _What if..._

He couldn't keep pondering these thoughts, he knew. And yet, looking at Poppy who was lying across his lap, playing with his shirt and kissing his arms, he wished that she was still human.

That she was still _pure_ of the Night World.

"You're a real piece of work, you know?" Mary-Lynette said as the others cleared the room.

Ash smiled playfully and began to play with her hair. "How so?" he drawled. He cautiously looked up, puppy dog eyes begging for forgiveness.

Mary-Lynette just huffed. "You're just an ass," she said, refusing to look at him. He might have annoyed her often - _very_ often - but he was still her soulmate. She couldn't resist his puppy dog eyes even if she tried.

"M'lin," he began, "you know that I'm just playing around. I love you so much. Being with you is the greatest- It's just...I'm not quite sure how to say it. I'm just glad that you're here and that you've forgiven me."

Mary-Lynette shrugged and smiled bashfully. She couldn't stay mad at him. And he _had_ been trying. He had taken down all those enclaves. Hell, he had _proposed._ "I guess I just don't like your sense of humor."

Ash put his arms around her and squeezed. "But I love everything about you," he said. "And, admit it, I'm dazzlingly hilarious."

Mary-Lynette couldn't hold back her smile from him. She grinned and giggled, snuggling up against him.

"But, there is something that you have to know," Ash said somberly. His mood shifted quickly, confusing Mary-Lynette.

"Is it about the story?" she asked. He nodded. "You did something bad?" He nodded again.

"It was before I met you, and-"

"Ash, I-"

"I was stupid and I thought that I was the best-"

"Seriously, Ash-"

"Looking back, I'm ashamed it even crossed my mind-"

" _Ash._ " She spoke at a low whisper, but with a lot of intensity. "My knight in shining armor, my wonderful vampire...it's okay. You said that there were things in your life that you had to make up for. This is one of those things. You are wonderful and I know that you're doing everything that you can to make up for your wrongdoings. I love you."

Ash couldn't speak. He knew that Mary-Lynette had said before that, as long as he made up for the bad, evil things that he had done, she would forgive him too. He just...didn't expect her to understand so quickly.

"I love you, too, my lady M'lin."

Thea and Eric lay down on their tiny bed. Thea cuddled up facing Eric and sighed.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Thea sat quietly before she said, "Just thinking."

Eric smiled just a little. His thoughtful witch girl. "About what?"

"About us," she said. "About what we had to go through to get to where we are today."

"We're stronger for it."

"We'd better be, with the apocalypse coming." This seemed to strike a chord in Thea's heart and she hiccuped.

Eric pulled her closer. "No, no," he said, shushing her. "We will be fine, Thea. You are so strong and brave. And I can certainly handle myself." He let out a small, self-deprecating laugh and Thea smiled wearily.

"Another thing," she said. "Promise me that you'll never become a Night Person." She said it with such seriousness that Eric was surprised.

"I would never become a vampire," he said. "I hate drinking blood." Another smile.

"No, I meant any kind of Night Person," she explained. "A werewolf, a shifter. I don't want that. I want _you_. Human Eric."

Eric smiled. "Why would I ever _want_ to be a werewolf or shifter? Honestly, those just sound like the short end of the stick."

"Nevermind," she said. "You're right, they are." But her mind was still reeling. If he was a shifter, he could communicate with animals, something that he had always envied in her. While she thought that he knew that, apparently it wasn't clicking in his mind. She knew that the Night World would tear him apart. And she liked her human boy just the way he was - intelligent, sweet. If he were a Night Person, there would be so many more adjectives that she couldn't imagine him having. _Bloodthirsty, animalistic, ruthless._ She shuddered just to think about it.

"I love you, Thea Harman."

She hesitated. "Love you, too."

Gillian and David always felt a tad left out in Circle Daybreak. Both of them were raised completely human. It wasn't until about a year ago when Gillian found out that she was a lost witch.

Still, even with that connection, she still wasn't... _connected._

"Sometimes I feel like I still don't know what they're talking about," David confessed as he lay his head in her lap. They were sitting on their shared bed and Gillian was brushing the hair away from his face.

She sighed in response. She had dragged David into all of this. Away from his nice home in Pennsylvania, away from his spot in college... and for what? To stop the apocalypse? Gillian was just grasping her powers and David didn't have any. How could they stop the end of the world when they were only human?

"I'm sorry-"

David sat up quickly and put his finger to Gillian's lips. "No, not that again," he said. "You have no right to be sorry. You didn't make me come here; I _wanted_ to come here. I wanted to stay with you."

"But if you're put into danger-"

"Then I'll handle it," he said. "At least I can protect you from here. At least I can hold you and not have to worry about you." He put his large arms around her and Gillian smiled. Just like that, her apologies slipped away. He needed her, he wanted her.

She wanted him.

Gillian rubbed her hands along David's back, kissing his neck. "You know, this break might last a while," she said. Her voice trailed off into a devilish smile. David returned it and scooted her up on the bed.

"Okay, but just this once," he said, kissing her mouth feverishly. The two of them laughed.

"Tell me another story," Rashel said. "About...the 1800s."

"Okay," Quinn says. The two sat comfortably next to each other on their four-poster bed. When they originally entered the house, no one had claimed it (although Thierry seemed to think it belonged to him). Quinn and Rashel fought several other couples for it and came out victorious in the end.

"Let's see..." Quinn began "When I was drafted into the Civil War-"

"You were in the Civil War?" Rashel gasped. Quinn just gave her a lopsided smile.

"Of course," he replied. "There was a draft. Almost everybody had to go.

"Anyway, when I was in the Civil War, I met Ulysses S Grant. He was a pretty cool guy, drunk half the time. Always commanded us around, too. Got on my nerves after a while."

Rashel cut in. "Why didn't you desert?"

Quinn shrugged. "I liked it, I guess. Reminded me of Hunter." The two barked a laugh together. Rashel twisted her wedding band around her finger.

"Who else did you meet?"

"I don't know. Boring military people, mostly. There were a lot of Indians- _sorry. Native Americans_ back then. Not as many as there are now."

"Did you ever meet Lincoln?"

"Loads of times. Saw him give the Gettysburg Address. I carried his bags around during his stay at Gettysburg."

Rashel scoffed. "You always say that you did these cool things; how do I know you're not faking it?"

"I don't know. Aren't you supposed to have, like, unwavering trust for me or something?" he asked sarcastically.

"You said that you were the person who shot the "shot heard around the world" at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. You said that you shot Archduke Ferdinand at the beginning of World War I. And now you were Lincoln's bagboy? I just don't buy it."

Quinn smiled and shrugged again. "Vampire abilities let you do cool things," was all he said.

Rashel rolled her eyes and then rolled on top of him. "You're not supposed to lie to me, John," she said. "I'm your _wife_."

"I had thirteen concubines when I was an Indian prince," he said with a teasing smile. " _One_ wife doesn't even compare." Rashel play bit his throat and the two broke into fits of giggles.

"Are you angry?"

"Hmm?" Thierry asked, looking up from his spot on the edge of the bed he shared with Hannah. Hannah repeated herself. "No, why do you ask?"

Hannah kneeled behind Thierry and began to give him a shoulder rub. "Because everyone here broke Night World laws," she explained. "Laws that you put into place. It's like...all that work down the drain."

"The laws were put into place to keep both the Night World and the Day World in balance," Thierry said. He sounded tired, old. His thousand or so years were catching up with him. "But now...everything is out of balance anyway." He laughed a little. Hannah stopped rubbing his shoulders and kissed his neck, then his jaw. She slid off of the bed to stand in front of Thierry.

"You're going to stop it, though, right?"

Thierry laughed. "Stop what? Armageddon?"

"Of course," Hannah said. "That's why we're all here, isn't it. Why we're all cooped-up in this place?"

"Well, that's the idea," Thierry said, resting his forehead against hers.

"And we have the Wild Powers and everything," Hannah said. "That means that there is a _very_ good chance that we'll win."

Thierry shrugged. "No one can be sure until the time is upon us."

"Oh, don't give me that bull," Hannah said with a smile. "Say that you believe in our side."

He rolled his eyes. "No."

"Say it." Her smile grew

"Make me."

And so she did.

Jez curled up onto Morgead's chest as they lay in bed together. He lay on his back, one arm around Jez's waist, the other supporting his head. She rested her head on his collarbone and had her leg hitched up along his waist. They were both so silent that they could be sleeping.

Morgead kissed the top of Jez's mane. "What's on your mind?" he asked. While they may be obnoxious in front of the others, most of their days were spent cuddling and fooling around with each other. Jez normally complained about Morgead letting her go soft.

"The world," she said. "You know, the one that I'll have to save eventually."

"Oh yes," he replied. " _That_ world." She nodded in response but said no more. After a few more moments of silence, Morgead wanted more. "What are you _specifically_ thinking about the world?"

"My family - Bracken and Uncle Jim and Aunt Nanami and Ricky and, _Goddess_ , Claire! Not to mention the gang..."

Morgead smiled. "What about me?" he asked playfully, trying to liven her up.

She sighed sadly. "I can't even- I just can't even _think_ about you in this situation, Morgead," she said. "You're all so precious to me. I'd die before I'd let anything bad happen to you."

"Four less one..." Morgead reminded her.

She rolled away from him. "Don't remind me."

But Morgead followed her, curling up against her back, kissing her neck. He brushed a strand of hair away from her shoulder so he could kiss it. "You know," he said, "You should talk about this more. It might make you feel better."

"Training more would help me feel better."

"We could do that too," he replied. "But - and I know this isn't very 'Morgead' - you and I could talk about what's going on in that pretty little red head of yours."

Jez huffed. "You just want to get in my pants." Morgead laughed and even Jez chuckled.

"I'm open to those kinds of suggestions," he said, pulling her close. She batted him away, which only caused more giggling fits and wrestling tactics.

"Don't be stupid," Maggie said. "I bet you couldn't do it again."

Delos stood proudly in front of her, as was his usual position. It seemed to be hard to break this vampire prince out of his old habits. "I bet I could," he retorted. "It was easy enough the first time."

"So then do it now," she replied.

"Well, you're _awake_ now," he said. "I can only come to you in a dream when you're _asleep_ , dummy."

Maggie was trying to convince him that it was impossible for him to come to her in a dream again, like he had the first time they met. "Go back now and catch me in my dream last night," she suggested.

Delos sputtered. "That's preposterous. Obviously I didn't do it because you can't remember it now."

"So you're saying that you couldn't do it?"

"No, that's not the point that I'm trying to make-"

"So do it."

"No."

"I bet you can't."

Delos stopped. "Why do you care?" he asked suddenly. "It's been six months since that first time and _now_ you want it?"

Maggie shifted in her seat. "I don't know..."

Delos just smiled. He knew now why it was so important to her. Since they arrived at "Camp Daybreak" (as Maggie referred to it), Delos hadn't been as loving to her as he had been before. She wanted him to come to her in a dream so that he could prove his love to her.

"Maggie..." he began. "I love you. I don't think that I should have to prove that statement, but if it means that much to you, I'll try to do it." He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her and screwed up his face hard. He hummed in concentration as Maggie looked on curiously.

"Wait!" she cried after a few moments. "I believe you. You don't have to do this to prove anything to me. I love you."

She enveloped Delos in a hug, pulling him close to her. Delos just smiled. He knew that he couldn't travel through her dreams again. It had been tough enough the first time. He just wanted to prove a point. And the kiss that she gave him told him that he had proven it well enough.

"Don't scratch me there," Keller said, pulling away from Galen. In her half-and-half form, Galen always liked to scratch behind her ears. Somehow, though, he always managed to scratch too hard.

"Sorry," he apologized, pulling away. "It's just, in this form, you're like a little kitten and sometimes I can't help just _squeezing you_." He went in for a bearhug that Keller briefly allowed.

"God you're a softie," she said. "Maybe we should adopt a puppy for you or something." Although she sounded off-putting, she was quite content with her soulmate.

Galen squeezed harder. "Nope, you'll do just fine." Keller rolled her eyes and pried him off her. She was happy with Galen. Although he was practically the complete opposite of her, he made her stupendously happy.

"You still need to train," she reminded him. "Have you been keeping up with your schedule?"

Galen ran a hand through his hair. "I-uh...yes..?"

Keller sighed heavily and fell back onto her bed. "Galen, you said that you wanted to learn how to fight. If you don't keep up with the schedule and becoming quicker and stronger, than I can never get you into a real fight."

"I feel like I should just learn in a 'trial by fire' manner, you know?" he suggested.

"No, Galen you can't," she said. "That would get you killed."

Galen pumped his chest up in a laughable manner. "Aren't I supposed to get knocked down a few times before I succeed?"

Keller sighed again. "Galen, I can't put you in the ring until I know that you can handle yourself," she said. It had been months now with this conversation. For all of the arguments Galen had, it seemed to Keller like he didn't actually want to fight.

"I _can_ handle myself," he replied. "I fought that dragon."

"Galen, _I will not let you get hurt. I cannot see you get hurt._ " Keller was breathing heavily as if those uttered, intense phrases took some life out of her.

Galen shifted closer to her. "I promise," he said. "You won't see me get hurt. I can handle it."

"You have to be able to fight in both forms-"

"I know."

"And maybe you should learn how to change into half-and-half like me-"

"Keller, I'll be fine."

"I'm just so worried-"

Galen put an arm around her shoulder. "Honey, you have nothing to worry about," he reassured her. "Set up the fight. I want to prove to you that I can do this." Keller closed her eyes and nodded before resting her head on his shoulder.

 **Just a little filler chapter of cute fluffy stuff between the couples. Thank you all for reading!**


	7. Secret Vampire Chapter 5

**While grammatically correct, I have decided to do away with the quotation marks at the beginning and ends of the passages being read. There's no real reason behind it other than the fact that I am lazy!**

After half an hour, Thierry gathered everybody back in the living room of the white mansion. They all settled in their same spots, happy for the break time. Thea and Eric took Keller and Galen's spot in the kitchen in order to make Thea's "famous brownies," which no one was opposed to having. Keller and Galen comfortably took the other couple's spot on the couch.

"James," Poppy said, handing him the book. James muttered about the unfairness of the whole situation and opened to the folded down page.

 **James dodged as Poppy lobbed a paperback book at him. "Poppy-"**

 **"You jerk! You snake! How can you** _ **do**_ **this to me? You spoiled, selfish, immature-"**

 **"Shhh! They're going to hear you-"**

 **"Let them! Here I am, and I've just found out that I'm going to** _ **die,**_ **and all you can think of is playing a joke on me. A stupid, sick joke. I can't** _ **believe**_ **this. Do you think that's** _ **funny**_ **?" She ran out of breath to rave with. James, who had been making quieting motions with his hands, now gave up and looked toward the door.**

 **"Here comes the nurse," he said.**

 **"Good, and I'm going to ask her to throw you** _ **out**_ **," Poppy said. Her anger had collapsed, leaving her near tears. She had never felt so utterly betrayed and abandoned. "I hate you, you know," she said.**

"You don't," Rashel piped up. She was grinning, loving every second of book-throwing action.

 **The door opened. It was the nurse with the flowered blouse and green scrub pants. "Is anything the matter here?" she said, turning on the light. Then she saw James. "Now, let's see; you don't look like family," she said. She was smiling, but her voice had the ring of authority about to be enforced.**

 **"He's not, and I want him out of here," Poppy said.**

 **The nurse fluffed up Poppy's pillows, put a gentle hand on her forehead. "Only family members are allowed to stay overnight," she said to James.**

 **Poppy stared at the TV and waited for James to go. He didn't. He walked around the bed to stand by the nurse, who looked up at him while she continued straightening Poppy's blankets. The her hands slowed and stopped moving.**

"No, you didn't!" Jez said. "You showed Poppy you were a vampire by using _mind control_? And she wasn't terrified?"

Poppy shrugged. "Of course I was terrified," she said.

James grunted and returned back to the story, unamused.

 **Poppy glanced at her sideways in surprise.**

 **The nurse was just staring at James. Hands limp on the blankets, she gazed at him as if she were mesmerized.**

 **And James was just staring back. With the light on, Poppy could see James's face - and again she had that odd feeling of not recognizing him. He was very pale and almost stern looking, as if he were doing something that required an effort. His jaw was tight and his eyes - his eyes were the color of silver.**

 **For some reason, Poppy thought of a starving panther.**

"You want a starving panther? Just look my way!" Keller interrupted. "Thea, how much longer with those brownies?" Thea ignored her and kept stirring.

 **"So you see there's nothing wrong here," James said to the nurse, as if continuing a conversation they'd been having.**

 **The nurse blinked once, then looked around the room as if she'd just awakened from a doze. "No, no; everything's fine," she said. "Call me if..." She looked briefly distracted again, the murmured, "If, um, you need anything.**

 **She walked out. Poppy watched her, forgetting to breathe. Then, slowly, moving only her eyes, she looked at James.**

 **"I know it's a cliché," James said. "An overused demonstration of power. But it gets the job done."**

 **"You set this up with her," Poppy said in a bare whisper.**

 **"No."**

 **"Or else it's some kind of psychic trick. The Amazing Whatshisname."**

"Sort of..." Mary-Lynette said. "Plus, the Amazing Rasmussen isn't a bad stage name, James."

 **"No," James said, and sat down on an orange plastic chair.**

 **"Then I'm going** _ **crazy**_ **." For the first time that evening Poppy wasn't thinking about her illness. She couldn't think properly about anything; her mind was a whirling, crashing jumble of confusion. She felt like Dorothy's house after it had been picked up by the tornado.**

 **"You're not crazy. I probably did this the wrong way; I said I didn't know how to explain it. Look, I know how hard it is for you to believe. My people** _ **arrange**_ **it that way; they do everything they can to keep humans not believing. Their lives depend on it."**

 **"James, I'm sorry; I just-" Poppy found that her hands were trembling. She shut her eyes. "Maybe you'd better just-"**

 **"Poppy,** _ **look at me**_ **. I'm telling you the truth. I swear it." He stared at her face a moment, then let out a breath. "Okay, I didn't want to have to do this, but..."**

 **He stood, leaning close to Poppy. She refused to flinch, but she could feel her eyes widening.**

 **"Now, look," he said, and his lips skinned back from his teeth.**

 **A simple action - but the effect was astonishing. Transforming. In that instant he changed from the pale but fairly ordinary James of a moment ago - into something Poppy had never seen before. A different species of human being.**

"In fact, not human being at all," Delos corrected.

 **His eyes flared silver and his entire face took on a predatory look. But Poppy scarcely noticed that; she was staring at his teeth.**

 **Not teeth. Fangs. He had canines like a cat's. Elongated and curving, ending in delicate, piercing points.**

 **They were nothing like the fake vampire fangs sold at novelty stores. They looked very strong and very sharp and very real.**

 **Poppy screamed.**

 **James clapped a hand over her mouth. "We don't want that nurse back in here."**

 **When he lifted his hand, Poppy said, "Oh, my God; oh, my** _ **God**_ **..."**

 **"All those times when you said I could read your mind," James said. "Remember? And the times when I heard things you didn't hear, or moved faster than you could move?"**

 **"Oh, my God."**

" _Jesus_ , Poppy," Gillian said.

"Seriously," Ash piped up. He had been quiet for the most part, but now that he was talking again, the gang groaned.

 **"It's true, Poppy." He picked up the orange chair and twisted one of the metal legs out of shape. He did it easily, gracefully. "We're stronger than humans," he said. He twisted the leg back and put the chair down. "We see better in the dark. We're built for hunting."**

 **Poppy finally managed to capture an entire thought. "I don't care** _ **what**_ **you can do," she said shrilly. "You can't be a vampire. I've known you since you were five years** _ **old**_ **. And you've gotten older every year, just like me. Explain** _ **that.**_ **"**

 **"Everything you know is wrong."**

"What a line."

 **When she just stared at him, he sighed again and said, "Everything you think you know about vampires, you've picked up from books or TV. And it's all written by humans, I'll guarantee that. Nobody in the Night World would break the code of secrecy."**

"Well, isn't that what you were doing?" Hannah asked.

"It was... different," James explained half-heartedly.

 **"The Night World. Where's the Night World?"**

 **"It's not a place. It's like a secret society - for vampires and witches and werewolves. All the best people. And I'll explain about it later," James said grimly. "For now - look it's simple. I'm a vampire because my parents are vampires. I was** _ **born**_ **that way. We're the lamia."**

 **All Poppy could think of was Mr. and Mrs. Rasmussen with their luxury ranch-style house and their gold Mercedes. "Your** _ **parents?**_ **"**

 **"** _ **Lamia**_ **is just an old word for vampires, but for us it means the ones who're born that way," James said, ignoring her. "We're born and we age like humans - except that we can stop aging whenever we want. We breathe. We walk around in the daylight. We can even eat regular food."**

 **"Your parents," Poppy said again faintly.**

 **He looked at her. "Yeah. My parents. Look, why do you think my mom does interior decorating? Not because they need the money. She meets a lot of people that way, and so does my dad, the society shrink. It only takes a few minutes alone with somebody, and the human never remembers it afterward."**

 **Poppy shifted uncomfortably. "So you, um, drink people's blood, huh?" Even after everything she'd seen, she couldn't say it without half-laughing.**

 **James looked at the laces of his Adidas. "Yes. Yes, I sure do," he said softly. Then he looked up and met her gaze directly.**

 **His eyes were pure silver.**

"Oh, my God!" Ash exclaimed, jumping up. "This is turning into a porno in front of our very eyes. People, children; this is gold!"

Mary-Lynette punched his shoulder. "Ash, sit down," she said. "And shut the hell up." He pouted.

 **Poppy leaned back against the pile of pillows on her bed. Maybe it was easier to believe him because the unbelievable had already happened to her earlier today. Reality had already been turned upside down - so, honestly, what did one more impossibility matter?**

 **I'm going to die and my best friend is a bloodsucking monster, she thought.**

"Ouch," James said. "That hurts."

 **"The argument was over, and she was out of energy. She and James looked at each other in silence.**

 **"Okay," she said finally, and it meant everything she'd just realized.**

 **"I didn't tell you this just to get it off my chest," James said, his voice still muted. "I said I could save you, remember?"**

 **"Vaguely." Poppy blinked slowly, then said more sharply, "Save me how?"**

 **His gaze shifted to empty air. "The way you're thinking."**

 **"James, I** _ **can't**_ **think anymore."**

 **Gently, without looking at her, he put a hand on her shin under the blanket. He shook her leg slightly, a gesture of affection. "I'm gonna turn you into a vampire, kid."**

 **Poppy put both fists to her face and began to cry.**

Several people laughed out loud.

"Oh Goddess, Poppy," Jez said between laughs. "You are way too much, you know that?"

 **"Hey." He let go of her shin and put an awkward arm around her, pulling her to sit up. "Don't do that. It's okay. It's better than the alternative."**

 **"You're...freaking...crazy," Poppy sobbed. Once the tears had started, they flowed too easily - she couldn't stop them. There was comfort in crying, and in being held by James. He felt strong and reliable and he smelled good.**

"One of our many natural vampire talents," Quinn joked.

 **"You said you had to be born one," she added blurrily, between sobs.**

 **"No, I didn't. I said** _ **I**_ **was born one. There are plenty of the other kind around. Made vampires. There would be more, but there's a law against just making any jerk off the street into one."**

 **"But I** _ **can't**_ **. I'm just what I am; I'm** _ **me**_ **. I can't be- like that."**

 **He put her gently away so he could look into her face. "Then you're going to die. You don't have any other choice. I checked around - even asked a witch. There's nothing else in the Night World to help you. What it comes down to is: Do you want to live or not?"**

"Jeez, James," said Galen. "Harsh."

 **Poppy's mind, which had now been swamped in confusion again, suddenly fixed on this question. It was like a flashlight beam in a pitch-black room.**

 **Did she want to live?**

 **Oh, God, of** _ **course**_ **she did.**

 **Until today she'd assumed it was her unconditional** _ **right**_ **to live. She hadn't even been grateful for the privilege. But now she knew it wasn't something to take for granted - and she also knew it was something she'd fight for.**

 **Wake up, Poppy! This is the voice of reason calling. He says he can save your life.**

 **"Wait a minute. I've got to think," Poppy said tightly to James. Her tears had stopped. She pushed him away completely and stared fiercely at the white hospital blanket.**

 **Okay. Okay. Now get your head straight, girl.**

 **You knew James had a secret. So you never imagined it was anything like this, so what? He's still James. He may be some godawful undead fiend-"** "Hey!" **"- but he still cares about you.** _ **And there's nobody else to help you.**_

 **She found herself clutching at James's hand without looking at him. "What's it like?" she said through clenched teeth.**

 **Steady and matter-of-fact, he said, "It's different. It's not something I'd recommend if there was another choice, but... it's okay. You'll be sick while your body's changing, but afterward you'll never get any kind of disease again. You'll be strong and quick - and immortal."**

"It sounds like you actually _like_ being a vampire, James," Maggie teased, only to receive a grimace from James.

 **"I'd live forever? But would I be able to stop aging?" She had visions of herself as an immortal crone.**

 **He grimaced. "Poppy - you'd stop aging** _ **now.**_ **That's what happens to made vampires. Essentially, you're** _ **dying**_ **as a mortal. You'll be dead and be unconscious for a while. And then...you'll wake up."**

 **"I see." Sort of like Juliet in the tomb, Poppy thought. And then she thought, Oh, God...Mom and Phil.**

 **"There's another thing you should know," James was saying. "A certain percentage of people don't make it."**

 **"Don't make it?"**

 **"Through the change. People over twenty almost never do. They don't** _ **ever**_ **wake up. Their bodies can't adjust to the new form and they burn out. Teenagers usually live through it, but not always."**

 **Oddly enough, this was comforting to Poppy. A qualified hope seemed more believable than an absolute one. To live, she would have to take a chance.**

"What?" Morgead said. "You'd rather have a 70 percent chance of making it through the change than a 100 percent chance? What kind of sense does that make?" He looked to Jez to back him up and she just shrugged.

Poppy did the same. "I don't know. It seemed more _real_ that way. Like I wasn't completely beating out Mother Nature, you know?"

Morgead just shook his head in disbelief. As a rational thinker - someone who focused on the cold, hard facts - he couldn't wrap his mind around someone hellbent on loving the unknown.

 **She looked at James. "How do you do it?"**

 **"The traditional way," he said with the ghost of a smile. Then, gravely: "We exchange blood."**

 **Oh, great, Poppy thought. And I was afraid of a simple shot. Now I'm going to have my blood drawn by fangs. She swallowed and blinked, staring at nothing.**

 **"It's your choice, Poppy. It's up to you."**

 **There was a long pause, and then she said, "I want to live, Jamie."**

 **He nodded. "It'll mean going away from here. Leaving your parents. They can't know."**

 **"Yeah, I was just realizing that. Sort of like getting a new identity from the FBI, huh?"**

 **"More than that. You'll be living in a new world, the Night World. And it's a lonely world, full of secrets. But you'll be walking around in it, instead of lying in the ground." He squeezed her hand. Then he said very quietly and seriously, "Do you want to start now?"**

 **All Poppy could think of to do was shut her eyes and brace herself the way she did for an injection. "I'm ready," she said through stiff lips.**

 **James laughed again - this time as if he couldn't help it. Then he folded the bed rail down and settled beside her. "I'm used to people being hypnotized when I do this. It's weird to have you awake."**

 **"Yeah, well, if I scream you can hypnotize me," Poppy said, not opening her eyes.**

 **Relax, she told herself firmly. No matter how much it hurts, no matter how awful it is, you can deal with it. You** _ **have**_ **to. Your life depends on it.**

 **Her heart was thumping hard enough to shake her body.**

 **"Right here," James said, touching her throat with cool fingers as if feeling for a pulse.**

"Tease," Ash muttered.

 **Just do it, Poppy thought. Get it over with.**

 **She could feel warmth as James leaned close to her, taking her carefully by the shoulders. Every nerve ending in her skin was awake of him. Then she felt cool breath on her throat, and quickly, before she could recoil, a double sting.**

 **Those fangs, burying themselves in her flesh. Making two little wounds so he could drink her blood...**

 **Now it** _ **really**_ **going to hurt, Poppy thought. She couldn't brace herself anymore. Her life was in the hands of a hunter. She was a rabbit trapped in the coils of a snake, a mouse under the claws of a cat. She didn't feel like James's best friend, she felt like** _ **lunch**_ **...**

"Jeez, how do you _really_ feel, Pops?" James grumbled.

While Poppy didn't reply, Galen corrected the book. "Technically," he said. "At that hour, it would most likely be dinner." No one acknowledged him other than his soulmate who put a finger to his lips and shook her head disappointingly.

 _ **Poppy, what are you doing? Don't fight it. It hurts when you resist.**_

 **James was speaking to her - but the warm mouth on her throat hadn't moved. The voice was in her head.**

 **I'm not resisting, Poppy thought. I'm just ready for it to hurt, that's all.**

 **There was a burning where his teeth pierced her. She waited for it to get worse - but it didn't. It changed.**

 **Oh, Poppy thought.**

 **The feeling of heat was actually pleasant. A sensation of release, of giving.**

 **And closeness. She and James were getting closer and closer, like two drops of water moving together until they merged.**

 **She could sense James's mind. His thoughts - and his feelings. His emotions flowed into her, through her.**

"Ah, yes," Thierry said with a little smile at Hannah. "The soulmate connection at work."

 **Tenderness...concern...caring. A cold black rage at the disease that was threatening her. Despair that there was no other way to help her. And longing - longing to share with her, to make her happy.**

 **Yes, Poppy thought.**

 **A wave of sweetness made her dizzy. She found herself groping for James's hand, their fingers intertwining.**

 _ **James**_ **, she thought with wonder and joy. Her communication to him a tentative caress.**

 _ **Poppy**_ **. She could feel his own surprise and delight.**

 **And all the time the dreamy pleasure was building. Making Poppy shiver with its intensity.**

 **How could I have been so** _ **stupid**_ **? Poppy thought. To be afraid of this. It isn't terrible. It's...right.**

 **She had never been so close to anybody. It was as if they were on being, together, not predator and prey, but partners in a dance. Poppy-and-James.**

 **She could touch his soul.**

 **Strangely enough,** _ **he**_ **was afraid of that. She could sense it.** _ **Poppy don't - so many dark things - I don't want you to see...**_

 **Dark, yes, Poppy thought. But not dark and terrible. Dark and lonely. Such utter loneliness.**

"Wow," James said, skimming the page slightly. "We can just...skip ahead a few pages, if you guys are all okay with that."

"No!" was the unanimous decision.

"Fine," James said through gritted teeth. "You all remember that answer when _your_ story comes up."

 **A feeling of not belonging in either of the two worlds he knew. Not belonging anywhere. Except...**

 **Suddenly Poppy was seeing an image of herself. In his mind she was fragile and graceful, and emerald-eyed spirit of the air. A sylph - with a core of pure steel.**

 **I'm not really like that, she thought. I'm not tall and beautiful like Jacklyn or Michaela...**

 **The words she heard in answer didn't seem directed toward her - she had a feeling they were something James was thinking to himself, or remembering from some long-forgotten book.**

 _ **You don't love a girl because of beauty. You love her because she sings a song only you can understand...**_

"Goddess, you sap," Thea said, smiling down at her cousin. She tossed the brownie mix into a pan and proceeded to put it into the oven.

 **With the thought came such strong feelings of protectiveness. So this was how James felt about her - she knew at last. As if she were something precious, something to be protected at all costs...**

 **At all costs. No matter what happened to him. Poppy tried to follow the thought deeper into his mind, to find out what it meant. She got an impression of rules - no** _ **laws**_ **...**

 _ **Poppy, it's bad manners to search somebody's mind when you're not invited.**_ **The words were tinged with desperation.**

 **Poppy pulled back mentally. She hadn't meant to pry. She just wanted to help...**

 _ **I know**_ **, James's thought came to her, and with it a rush of warmth and gratitude. Poppy relaxed and simply enjoyed the feeling of oneness with him.**

 **I wish it could last forever, she thought - and just then it stopped. The warmth at her neck disappeared, and James pulled away, straightening.**

 **Poppy made a sound of protest and tried to drag him back. He wouldn't let her.**

"Poppy, no offense, but you're worse than a two-year-old," Keller commented.

 **"No - there's something else we have to do," he whispered. But he didn't do anything else. He just held her, his lips against her forehead. Poppy felt peaceful and languid.**

 **"You didn't tell me it would be like that," she said.**

 **"I didn't know," James said simply. "It never has been before."**

 **They sat together quietly, with James gently stroking her hair.**

 **So strange, Poppy thought. Everything is the same - but everything's different. It was as if she'd pulled herself up on dry land after almost drowning in the ocean. The terror that had been pounding inside her all day was gone, and for the first time in her life she felt completely safe.**

 **After another minute or so James shook his head, rousing himself.**

 **"What else do we have to do?" Poppy asked.**

 **For an answer, James lifted his own wrist to his mouth. He made a quick jerking motion with his head, as if tearing a strip of cloth held in his teeth.**

 **When he lowered the wrist, Poppy saw blood.**

 **It was running in a little stream down his arm. So red it almost didn't look real.**

 **Poppy gulped and shook her head.**

"I think we all know the feeling," Mary-Lynette said.

 **"It's not that bad," James said softly. "And you have to do it. Without my blood in you, you won't become a vampire when you die, you'll just** _ **die**_ **. Like any other human victim."**

 **And I want to live, Poppy thought. All right, then. Shutting her eyes, she allowed James to guide her head to his wrist.**

 **It didn't taste like blood, or at least not the blood she'd tasted when she bit her tongue or put a cut finger in her mouth. It tasted- strange. Rich and potent.**

 **Like some magic elixir, Poppy thought dizzily. And once again she felt the touch of James's mind. Intoxicated with the closeness, she kept drinking.**

 _ **That's right. You've got to take a lot,**_ **James told her. But his mental voice was weaker than it had been. Instantly Poppy felt a surge of alarm.**

 _ **But what will it do to you?**_

 **"I'll be alright," James said aloud. "It's you I'm worried about. If you don't get enough, you'll be in danger."**

 **Well, he was the expert. And Poppy was happy to let the strange, heady potion keep flowing into her. She basked in the glow that seemed to be lighting her from the inside out. She felt so tranquil, so calm...**

 **And then, without warning, the calm was shattered. A voice broke into it, full of harsh surprise.**

 **"What are you** _ **doing**_ **?" the voice said, and Poppy looked up to see Phillip in the doorway.**

"Ooh!" said Ash. "Cliffhanger!" Mary-Lynette elbowed him in the stomach lightly enough where it didn't hurt him seriously.

"Speaking of Ash, it's your turn to read," Poppy said, turning to him. She hadn't spoken the whole time and James was just now finding that curious. He thought he knew Poppy very well, but sometime she stumped him.

Poppy knew why she was being quiet, though. That entire chapter was full of her world shattering and being reborn, just as she had when she was dug out of her literal grave. Her first romantic moments with James, her uncontrollable sobbing, her unflattering responses to the Night World. Although she had lived with most of the people in that room for close to a year, she still had secrets, private things that she wanted to keep to herself.

This book, she realized, had no intention of letting her do that.

Ash settled back into his chair and opened the book before him. He pretended to readjust his non-existent reading glasses. "Well, let's start," he said.


	8. Secret Vampire Chapter 6

**I usually don't do ANs before stories but aghhhh I'm so sorry I've been on hiatus for forever! Between work and friends and getting ready for my college education I have had very little time to write! I have, however written a few one-shots of my favorite Night World couple, Jez and Morgead. Please check out that! It's called One Hot Couple and idk I put a lot of work into those trying to make them seem completely in character and also funny but kinda cute and fluffy just idk go read them please! And now back to this…**

Ash settled back into his chair and opened the book before him. He pretended to readjust his non-existent reading glasses. "Well, let's start," he said.

 **James moved fast. He picked up the plastic tumbler on the bedside table and handed it to Poppy. She understood. Feeling giddy and uncoordinated, she took a healthy swig of water and licked her lips to wash any traces of blood away.**

 **"What are you** _ **doing**_ **?" Phillip repeated, striding into the room.**

"Oh just feeding off of the soul of your sister while thinking about bone-ing her," Quinn joked. "What about you?"

 **His eyes were fixed on James, which was good, because Poppy was trying to position herself to hide the side of her neck that James had bitten.**

 **"None of your business, " she said,**

"Well, if it wasn't suspicious _already_ …" Maggie said.

 **and in the same instant she knew it was a mistake. Phillip, whose middle name was Stability, was looking distinctly unstable tonight.**

 **Mom told him, Poppy thought.**

 **"I mean, we aren't doing** _ **anything,**_ **" she amended.**

 **It didn't help. Phil was clearly in a mood to see everything in the world as a threat to his sister. And Poppy couldn't really blame him-he'd walked in on the two of them in a strange embrace on a rumpled hospital bed.**

 **"James was comforting me because I was scared, " she said.**

"Yeah, okay…" scoffed Keller. "If he's so perceptive, don't you think he would have seen right through that, Poppy? Jeez, humans, am I right?"

 **She didn't even try to explain why James had been cradling her head to his arm. But she glanced at James's arm surreptitiously and saw that the wound there was already closed, the mark fading.**

 **"Everything's all right, you know, " James said, standing to fix a mesmerizing silver gaze on Phillip. But Phil hardly gave him a glance. He was staring at Poppy.**

 **It's not working, Poppy thought. Maybe Phil's too mad to be hypnotized. Or too** _ **stubborn**_ **.**

 **She looked a question at James, which he answered with a barely discernable shake of his head. He didn't know what the problem was, either.**

 **But they both knew what it meant. James was going to have to leave. Poppy felt cheated and frustrated. All she wanted was to talk with James, to revel in their new discovery of each other-and she couldn't. Not with Phil here.**

"That sounds naughty," Jez purred, a smirk playing on her lips. "Poppy, you don't seem like a girl who likes to 'revel in their new discovery of each other.'"

"Oh, shut up, Jezebel," James replied.

 **"How come you're here, anyway?" she asked him irritably.**

 **"I drove Mom here. You know she doesn't like driving at night. And I brought this. " He swung her boom box up onto the bedside table. "And these. " He put a black CD case beside it. "All your favorite music."**

 **Poppy felt her anger draining away. "That was sweet, " she said. She was touched, especially since Phil hadn't said "All your favorite** _ **weird**_ **music, " which was usually how he referred to it.**

"That's how _everyone_ refers to it," Hannah said, almost to herself. Everyone looked at her, astounded that she would poke fun at one of them. She smiled goofily. "Isn't it?" Thierry gave a small chuckle and hugged her closer to him.

 **"Thank you."**

 **Phil shrugged, shooting a glare at James.**

 **Poor Phil, Poppy thought. Her brother actually looked disheveled.**

 **And his eyes were swollen.**

 **"Where's Mom?" she was starting to say, when her mother walked in.**

 **"I'm back, sweetie, " her mother said, with a very creditable cheery smile. Then she looked surprised. "James-it was nice of you to come."**

 **"Yeah, but he was just leaving, " Phil said significantly. "I'll show him the way out."**

At this, the peanut gallery "ooh"-ed. James and Poppy shook their heads, thinking that they would get their turn later.

 **James didn't waste energy on a fight he couldn't win. He turned to Poppy and said, "I'll see you tomorrow."**

 **There was a look in his gray eyes-gray, not silver now- that was just for her. A look that had never been there before in all the years she'd known him.**

 **"Goodbye, James, " she said softly. "And-thank you. " She knew he understood what she meant.**

 **It wasn't until he was out the door, with Phillip on his heels like a bouncer after a rowdy customer, that a thought occurred to her.**

 **James had said that she would be in danger if she didn't get enough of his blood. But they'd gotten interrupted almost immediately after that. Had Poppy gotten enough? And what would happen if she** _ **hadn't**_ **?**

 **She herself had no idea, and there was no way to ask James.**

 **Phil stayed right behind James all the way out of the hospital.**

 **Not tonight, James thought. He just couldn't deal with Phillip North tonight. His patience was gone, and his mind was occupied in calculating whether Poppy had taken enough of his blood to be safe. He** _ **thought**_ **she had-but the sooner she got more, the better.**

 **"You'll 'see her tomorrow'-well, you're** _ **not**_ **going to see her tomorrow, " Phil said abruptly as they walked into the garage.**

 **"Phil, give me a break."**

 **Instead, Phillip stepped in front of him and stopped dead, forcing James to stop, too. Phillip was breathing quickly, his green eyes burning.**

 **"Okay,** _ **bud**_ **, " he said. "I don't know what you think you're doing with Poppy-but it's all over now. From now on you stay away from her.** _ **Understand**_ **?"**

 **Visions of breaking Phillip's neck like a new pencil danced in James's head.**

Poppy smacked James' chest.

 **But Phil was Poppy's brother, and his green eyes were surprisingly like hers.**

 **"I would never hurt Poppy, " he said wearily.**

 **"Give** _ **me**_ **a break. Are you going to stand there and tell me you don't want to move in on her?"**

 **James couldn't come up with an answer immediately. Yesterday he could have truthfully said no, he didn't want to move in on Poppy. Because it would have meant a death sentence for him and Poppy both. It was only when Poppy had received a death sentence of her own that he'd allowed himself to look at his feelings.**

 **And now ... Now he'd been close to Poppy. He'd touched her mind, and had found that she was even braver and more gallant than he'd thought; even more compassionate-and more vulnerable.**

 **He wanted to be that close to Poppy again. He cared about her in a way that made his throat ache. He** _ **belonged**_ **with Poppy.**

"Aw, that's kind of sweet," Gillian said. "I mean, a little messed up because you literally had to drink her blood in order for that revelation to come to you, but aw."

 **He also realized that that might not be enough.**

 **Sharing blood forged a powerful bond between two people. It would be wrong of him to take advantage of that bond-or of Poppy's gratitude to him. Until he was sure that Poppy's mind was clear and her decisions were her own, he should keep a little distance. It was the only honorable thing to do.**

"James, is honor _really_ on your mind?" Ash asked, incredulously. "I get stuck with the lamest cousins, I swear." All the Redferns and Harmans stuck their tongues out at him.

 **"The last thing I want to do is hurt her, " he repeated. "Why can't you believe that?" He made a half-hearted attempt to capture Phil's gaze as he said it. It failed, just as it had in the hospital. Phillip seemed to be one of those rare humans who couldn't be influenced by mind control.**

 **"Why can't I believe it? Because I** _ **know**_ **you. You and your- girlfriends. " Phil managed to make the word sound like a curse. "You go through six or seven a year-and when you're through with them, you dump them like trash."**

 **James was distracted briefly by amusement, because Phil was dead on. He** _ **needed**_ **six girlfriends a year. After two months the bond between them became dangerously strong.**

"Oh, so he _did_ play the field?" Ash said. "Well, now I'm not as disappointed."

 **"Poppy's not my girlfriend and I'm not going to dump her, " he said, pleased at his own cleverness. He'd avoided an outright lie-Poppy** _ **wasn't**_ **his girlfriend in any normal sense. They'd merged their souls, that was all- they hadn't talked about dating or anything.**

 **"So you** _ **are**_ **telling me you're not gonna try to put the moves on her. Is that it? Because you'd better be sure. " As he spoke, Phil did what was probably the most dangerous thing he'd ever done in his life. He grabbed James by the front of the shirt.**

 **You stupid** _ **human**_ **, James thought. He briefly considered breaking every bone in Phil's hand. Or picking Phil up and throwing him across the garage into somebody's windshield. Or ...**

"Was there ever a moment that you actually _liked_ my brother?" Poppy asked James angrily.

"I'm sure there might have been," James replied after a bit of thought.

 **"You're Poppy's brother, " he said through his teeth. "So I'm going to give you a chance to let go."**

 **Phil stared into his face a moment, then let go, looking slightly shaken. But not shaken enough to keep quiet.**

 **"You have to leave her alone, " he said. "You don't understand. This disease she's got it's serious. She doesn't need anything messing up her life right now. She just needs . . . " He stopped and swallowed.**

 **Suddenly James felt very tired. He couldn't blame Phil for being upset- Phil's mind was full of crystal clear pictures of Poppy dying. Usually James got only general images about what humans were thinking, but Phillip was broadcasting so loud it nearly deafened him.**

 **Half-truths and evasions hadn't worked. It was time for Outright Lies. Anything to satisfy Phil and get James away from this.**

 **"I know that what Poppy has is serious, " he said. "I found an article about it on the Net. That's why I was** _ **here**_ **, okay? I feel sorry for her. I'm not interested in Poppy except as a friend, but it makes her feel better if I pretend that I like her. "**

"Messed up, man," Eric said, absent-mindedly playing with Thea's hair.

 **Phillip hesitated, looking at him hard and suspiciously. Then he shook his head slowly. "Being friends is one thing, but it's wrong to mix her up. In the end, pretending isn't going to do her any good. I don't even think it makes her feel better** _ **now**_ **\- she looked pretty bad in there. "**

 **"Bad?"**

 **"Pale and shaky. You know Poppy; you know how she gets overexcited about things. You shouldn't be fooling around with her emotions. " He narrowed his eyes and said, "So maybe you'd better stay away from her for a while. Just to make sure she hasn't got the wrong idea. "**

"Just a question – were there _any_ boys in my past life that thought I could protect and care for myself? Goddess, between you and Phil, I swear…" Poppy said, smoke coming out of her ears. James pat her head.

 **"Whatever, " James said. He wasn't really listening.**

 **"Okay, " Phillip said. "We have a deal. But I'm warning you, if you break it, you're in trouble."**

 **James wasn't listening to that, either. Which was a mistake.**

"Ooh! That sounds threatening!" Galen said, a little excited. "Keep reading! I want to hear more!" Ash didn't disappoint, immediately leading into the next section.

 **In the darkened hospital room Poppy lay and listened to her mother's breathing.**

 **You're not asleep, she thought, and I'm not asleep. And you know I'm not, and I know you're not...**

 **But they couldn't talk. Poppy wanted desperately to let her mother know that everything was going to be all right-but** _ **how**_ **? She couldn't betray James's secret. And even if she could, her mother wouldn't believe her.**

 **I have to find a way, Poppy thought.** _ **I have to.**_ **And then a great wave of drowsiness overtook her. It had been the longest day in her life, and she was full of alien blood already working its strange magic in her. She couldn't ... She just couldn't ... Keep her eyes open.**

 **Several times during the night a nurse came in to take her vital signs, but Poppy never really woke up. For the first time in weeks, no pain interrupted her dreams.**

 **She opened her eyes the next morning feeling confused and weak.**

"Blood will do that to you," Mary-Lynette noted.

 **Black dots swarmed through her vision when she sat up.**

 **"Hungry?" her mother asked. "They left this breakfast tray for you."**

 **The smell of hospital eggs made Poppy feel nauseated. But because her mother was watching her anxiously, she played with the food on the tray before she went to wash up. In the bathroom mirror she examined the side of her neck. Amazing- there was no trace of a mark.**

 **When she came out of the bathroom, her mother was crying.**

 **Not floods of tears, not sobbing. Just dabbing her eyes on a Kleenex. But Poppy couldn't stand it.**

 **"Mom, if you're worried about telling me ... I know."**

 **The whole sentence was out before Poppy could even think about it.**

 **Her mother's head jerked up in horror. She stared at Poppy with more tears spilling. "Sweetheart-you know…?"**

 **"I know what I've got and I know how bad it is, " Poppy said. If this was the wrong strategy, it was too late now. "I listened when you and Cliff were talking to the doctors. "**

"You're not supposed to snitch on yourself," Keller pointed out with a smirk.

 **"Oh, my** _ **Lord.**_ **"**

 **What can I say? Poppy wondered. It's okay, Mom, because I'm not going to die; I'm going to become a vampire. I hope. I can't be sure, because sometimes you don't make it through the transformation. But with any luck, I should be sucking blood in a few weeks.**

"And what a natural cycle to be a part of," Ash joked. "Welcome to the gang, cousin-in-law!" Poppy ignored him, as she had for most of the time that they had been reading.

 **Come to think of it, she hadn't asked James exactly how long it would take to change her.**

 **Her mother was taking deep, calming breaths. "Poppy, I want you to know how much I love you. Cliff and I will do anything-** _ **anything**_ **-we can to help you. Right now he's looking into some clinical protocols-those are experimental studies where they test new ways of treating people. If we can just buy time…until a cure…"**

 **Poppy couldn't stand it. She could** _ **feel**_ **her mother's pain. Literally. It came in palpable waves that seemed to echo through her bloodstream, making her dizzy.**

 **It's that blood, she thought. It's doing something to me-changing me.**

"It's those magical side-effects again," Delos said. Cracking jokes was not his forte, so the group wondered whether or not he was just stating a fact rather than trying to make them laugh. Thea and Eric, being the kind people they were, giggled a bit for his benefit anyway.

 **Even as she thought it, she went to her mother. She wanted to hug her, and she needed help standing up.**

 **"Mom, I'm not scared, " she said, muffled against her mother's shoulder. "I can't explain, but I'm not scared. And I don't want you to be unhappy over me."**

 **Her mother just held on fiercely, as if Death might try to snatch Poppy out of her arms that minute. She was crying.**

 **Poppy cried, too. Real tears, because even if she wasn't going to die truly, she was going to lose so much. Her old life, her family, everything familiar. It felt good to cry over it; it was something she needed to do.**

 **But when it was done, she tried again.**

 **"The** _ **one**_ **thing I don't want is for you to be unhappy or worry, " she said, and looked up at her mother. "So could you just try not to? For my sake?"**

 **Oh, God, I'm coming off like Beth in** _ **Little Women**_ **, she thought. Saint Poppy. And the truth is, if I were really dying, I'd go kicking and screaming all the way.**

"I wouldn't want you any other way," James said, kissing Poppy's head. She smiled softly at the contact.

 **Still, she'd managed to comfort her mother, who drew back looking tearstained but quietly proud. "You're really something, Poppet, " was all she said, but her lips trembled.**

 **Saint Poppy looked away, horribly embarrassed until another wave of dizziness saved her. She allowed her mother to help her back into bed.**

 **And it was then that she finally found a way to pose the question she needed to ask.**

 **"Mom, " she said slowly, "what if there was a cure for me somewhere-like in some other country or something-and I could go there and get better, but they wouldn't ever let me come back? I mean, you'd know I was okay, but you wouldn't ever be able to see me again. " She looked at her mother intently. "Would you want me to do it?"**

 **Her mother answered instantly. "Sweetheart, I'd want you cured if you had to go to the moon. As long as you were happy. " She had to pause a moment, then resumed steadily. "But, honey, there isn't such a place. I wish there were. "**

"Let me introduce you to this lovely place called the _Night World_ ," Quinn said, sounding like a strange mix between a tour guide and a realtor.

 **"I know. " Poppy patted her arm gently. "I was just asking. I love you, Mom."**

 **Later that morning Dr. Franklin and Dr. Loftus came by. Facing them wasn't as horrible as Poppy expected, but she felt like a hypocrite when they marveled over her "wonderful attitude. " They talked about quality time, and the fact that no two cases of cancer were the same, and about people they'd known who'd beaten the percentages. Saint Poppy squirmed inside, but she listened and nodded-until they began to talk about more tests.**

 **"We'd like to do an angiogram and a laparotomy, " Dr. Loftus said. "Now an angiogram is-"**

 **"Tubes stuck in my** _ **veins**_ **?" Poppy said before she could help herself.**

 **Everyone looked startled. Then Dr. Loftus gave a rueful smile. "Sounds like you've been reading up on it. "**

 **"No, I just-I guess I remember it from somewhere, " Poppy said. She knew where she was getting the images-from Dr. Loftus's head.**

"Those are pretty astounding mental capabilities," Thierry commented. "To be strong enough to capture people's projected images after only having fed once? Absolutely incredible."

"Well, she's an incredible girl," James said, putting his arms around Poppy's small frame. She blushed and waved off the compliments from them both.

 **And she probably should cover her tracks instead of talking anymore, but she was too distressed. "And a laparotomy's an operation, right?"**

 **Dr. Loftus and Dr. Franklin exchanged glances. "An exploratory operation, yes, " Dr. Franklin said.**

 **"But I don't** _ **need**_ **those tests, do I? I mean, you already know what I've got. And the tests** _ **hurt**_ **."**

 **"Poppy, " her mother said gently. But Dr. Loftus was answering slowly.**

 **"Well, sometimes we need the tests to confirm a diagnosis. But in your case ... No, Poppy. We don't really need them. We're already sure."**

 **"Then I don't see why I have to have them, " Poppy said simply. "I'd rather go home."**

 **The doctors looked at each other, then at Poppy's mother. Then, without even trying to be subtle about it, the three adults went out into the corridor to deliberate.**

 **When they came back, Poppy knew she'd won.**

 **"You can go home, Poppy, " Dr. Franklin said quietly. "At least until you develop any further symptoms. The nurse will tell your mother what to look out for."**

 **The first thing Poppy did was call James. He answered on the first ring and said, "How do you feel?"**

 **"Dizzy. But pretty good, " Poppy said, whispering because her mother was outside talking to a nurse. "I'm coming home."**

 **"I'll come over this afternoon, " James said. "Call me when you think you'll have an hour or so alone. And, Poppy ... Don't tell Phil I'm coming."**

 **"Why not?"**

 **"I'll explain later."**

"Scared of a _human_ , James-y?" Quinn teased. Rashel hit him.

"At least I'm not whipped by one," James retorted. Quinn gave him a toothy, sarcastic smile and Rashel growled at Quinn.

 **When she actually got home, it was strange. Cliff and Phil were there. Everybody was unusually nice to her, while still trying to pretend that nothing unusual was going on. (Poppy had heard the nurse tell her mother that it was good to try and maintain a normal routine.) It's like my birthday, Poppy thought dazedly. Like some terribly important birthday and graduation rolled into one. Every few minutes the doorbell would ring as another flower arrangement arrived. Poppy's bedroom looked like a garden.**

 **She felt badly for Phil. He looked so stricken-and so brave. She wanted to comfort him the way she'd comforted her mother-but** _ **how**_ **?**

 **"Come here, " she ordered, opting for direct action. And when he obeyed, she hugged him tightly.**

 **"You'll beat this thing, " he whispered. "I know you will. Nobody's ever had as much will to live as you do. And nobody's ever,** _ **ever**_ **been as stubborn. "**

 **It was then that Poppy realized just how terribly she was going to miss him.**

"How come we've never met Phillip before?" Mary-Lynette asked. "He seems nice."

"He's not too interested in the Night World," Poppy said. "He'd rather stay far away from it."

 **When she let go, she felt light-headed.**

 **"Maybe you'd better lie down, " Cliff said gently. And Poppy's mother helped her to the bedroom.**

 **"Does Dad know?" she asked as her mother moved around the bedroom, straightening things.**

 **"I tried to get hold of him yesterday, but the people at the station said he'd moved to somewhere in Vermont. They don't know where."**

 **Poppy nodded. It sounded like her dad always on the move. He was a DJ-when he wasn't being an artist or a stage magician. He'd split up with her mom because he wasn't very good at being any of those things-or at least not good enough to get paid much.**

 **Cliff was everything Poppy's father wasn't: responsible, disciplined, hardworking. He fit in perfectly with Poppy's mom and Phil. So perfectly that sometimes Poppy felt like the odd one out in her own family.**

 **"I miss Dad, " Poppy said softly.**

 **"I know. Sometimes I do, too, " her mother said, surprising her. Then she said firmly, "We'll find him, Poppy. As soon as he hears, he'll want to come."**

 **Poppy hoped so. She didn't suppose she'd get a chance to see him-after.**

"That's not true," Ash said. "It would be much easier to find him after you had changed. Vampire tracking abilities are quite superb."

Mary-Lynette smiled and rubbed her hand against Ash's cheek and then his chest. She kissed him roughly. "You are so sexy when you speak in a scholarly way." She practically pounced on him. The crowd around them had never seen her like that before.

Before they could go much further, Morgead had begun to throw whatever was in reach at them. He threw a tissue box, two books, and several pens and pencils before they got the hint.

"Goddess guys," Thea said.

Ash cleared his throat and continued to read.

 **It wasn't until an hour or so before dinnertime, when Phil and Cliff were out doing errands, and her mother was taking a nap, that Poppy got the chance to call James.**

 **"I'll come right over, " he said. "I'll let myself in. " Ten minutes later he walked into Poppy's bedroom.**

 **Poppy felt strangely shy. Things had changed between her and James. They weren't simply best friends anymore.**

 **They didn't even say "Hi" to each other. As soon as he came in, their eyes caught and met. And then, for an endless moment, they just looked at each other.**

 **This time, when Poppy felt the quick pang in her chest that always came when she saw James, it was a throb of pure sweetness. He cared about her. She could see it in his eyes.**

 **Wait a minute, hang on, her mind whispered. Don't jump the gun here. He** _ **cares**_ **about you, yes, but he didn't say he was** _ **in**_ _ **love**_ **with you. There's a difference.**

"Way to think rationally," said Rashel. "Although, in hindsight, yes he _did_ love you."

 **Shut up, Poppy told her brain soberly. Aloud, she said, "How come you didn't want Phil to know you were here?"**

 **James threw his light windbreaker over a chair and sat down on Poppy's bed. "Well-I just' didn't want to be interrupted, " he said with a gesture of dismissal. "How's the pain?"**

 **"It's** _ **gone**_ **, " Poppy said. "Isn't that weird? It didn't wake me up at all last night. And there's something else. I think I'm starting to- well, read people's thoughts."**

 **James smiled slightly, just one corner of his mouth up. "That's good. I was worried-" He broke off and went to turn Poppy's CD player on. Plaintive Bantu wailing's emerged.**

 **"I was worried you didn't get enough blood last night, " James said quietly, resuming his seat. "You'll have to take more this time-and so will I." Poppy felt something tremble inside her. Her revulsion was gone. She was still afraid, but that was only because of the consequences of what they were going to do. It wasn't just a way to get closer or to feed James. They were doing it to** _ **change**_ **Poppy.**

 **"The only thing I don't understand is why you never bit me before. " Her tone was light, but as she spoke the words, she realized that there was a serious question behind them.**

"Oh jeez," Ash said. "I've had to have this conversation many-a-time, my friend. It can only lead to heartbreak, I'm afraid."

James rolled his eyes. "Shut up and get your head out of your ass."

 **"I mean, " she said slowly, "you did it with Michaela and Jacklyn, didn't you? And with other girls?"**

 **He looked away but answered steadily. "I didn't exchange blood with them. But I fed on them, yes. "**

 **"But not me."**

 **"No. How can I explain?" He looked up at her. "Poppy, taking blood can be a lot of different things-and the Elders don't want it to be anything but feeding. They say all you should feel is the joy of the hunt. And that's all I ever** _ **have**_ **felt- before."**

 **Poppy nodded, trying to feel satisfied with this. She didn't ask who the Elders were.**

Everyone looked at Thierry, but didn't say anything.

 **"Besides, it can be** _ **dangerous**_ **, " James said. "It can be done with hatred, and it can kill. Kill permanently, I mean."**

 **Poppy was almost amused by this. "** _ **You**_ **wouldn't kill."**

 **James stared at her. Outside, it was cloudy and the light in Poppy's bedroom was pale. It made James's face look pale, too, and his eyes silver.**

 **"But I have, " James said. His voice was flat and bleak. "I've killed without exchanging enough blood, so the person didn't come back as a vampire. "**

"Dun dun _dun!_ " Ash said with finality. He held up the book. "Who's next?"

Mary-Lynette took the book from him and opened to the folded down page. "Let's get right to it!" she said.


End file.
